VCU School of Education

10/27/2026

Puzzle builder or puzzle lover, in 14 letters?
C-R-U-C-I-V-E-R-B-A-L-I-S-T

Meet Collin Drown, a Ph.D. student in VCU’s School of Education whose crossword ran in the New York Times this summer. This is just the beginning for Drown; two more of his puzzles are headed to the NYT, with the next one dropping early next year.

When he’s not spending 40+ hours building a single grid, Collin is researching how people adapt to AI in the Centroid Applied Machine Learning Lab. Big brain energy, across and down.

Read the full story:
https://news.vcu.edu/article/vcu-student-constructs-new-york-times-crossword-puzzle

The School of Education doctoral student and puzzle constructor debuted in July in the esteemed Sunday edition, and two more NYT puzzles have been accepted for publication.

10/27/2026

The Center for Family Involvement, part of VCU’s School of Education, is sharing a new Care Card every day this week with real, practical ways to show up for the caregivers in your life. Think specific offers over vague ones, a coffee drop-by over a big night out, and a standing invite even when the answer is usually no.

Share it, tag someone, or just take a note. Small gestures carry a lot of weight.

Free 1-on-1 family support is always available through the Center: tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

😍Care Card ~ Parents of Adults with Disabilities

Are you uncomfortable 😣 saying what you REALLY think? Let us do it for you! Just forward this to friends and family or share it with a comment on social media.

We will be posting unique Care Cards ALL WEEK!

Please Do 🙌

BE SPECIFIC WITH HELP: Instead of asking what can I do, try, “I’m at the store, what can I get you?” or “I can come over for two hours.”

KEEP INVITING ME: Please keep asking me to join, even if I usually say no. It reminds me I’m still part of the community.

REMEMBER MY CHILD IS AN ADULT: Speak directly to my son/daughter and engage with them based on their age, not their disability.

OFFER “LOW-ENERGY” HANGOUTS: I might not be able to go out, but I’d love for you to drop by with coffee and chat for a while.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES: It’s OK to talk about how different your lives are. Validation and honest conversations are incredibly meaningful.

Please Don’t ✋

TELL ME THAT YOU UNDERSTAND: Without lived experience, it’s impossible to fully understand how complicated my life is.

ASK ABOUT “THE FUTURE” BLUNTLY: Planning for when I am no longer here is a heavy emotional load. Please don’t ask “what will happen to them?” unless I bring it up first.

COMPARE TO TYPICAL ADULTHOOD: Please don’t compare my experience to common milestones or your empty nesting phase. Our timeline is different.

I Can ...

✅Do a specific errand
✅Provide a meal
✅Sit with my adult child
✅Hang for a short time

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Association of University Centers on Disabilities Partnership for People with Disabilities

10/27/2026

In two days, RTR Teacher Residency turns 16.

Sixteen years ago, VCU’s School of Education set out to answer one of public education’s toughest questions: how do you prepare teachers who succeed, and stay, in high-need, hard-to-staff classrooms? The answer became RTR Teacher Residency at Virginia Commonwealth University.

RTR integrates research and practice through a yearlong residency where aspiring teachers co-teach alongside exemplary mentors in 28 partner districts across Virginia including, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Henrico County Public Schools, Petersburg City Public Schools, and Richmond Public Schools to name just a few. Residents earn a VCU degree at no tuition cost, commit to three years in a high-need school, and receive two years of coaching once they lead their own classrooms. Mentors grow too, strengthening teaching across entire buildings.

The impact is measurable. RTR graduates are retained at significantly higher rates than their peers, principals rate them as more effective than teachers with comparable experience, and the program has earned national recognition as a model for addressing teacher shortages.

As the countdown to October 29 begins, VCU’s School of Education celebrates every resident, mentor, coach, principal, and partner division who made 16 years of impact possible!

10/26/2026

One degree. Three paths. Endless impact. 💛🖤
VCU’s M.Ed. in Counselor Education prepares counselors for schools, colleges, clinics and communities, with concentrations in School Counseling, College Counseling & Student Affairs, and Couples & Family Counseling.

Join an info session to learn more. Register here: https://connect.soe.vcu.edu/register/?id=4eed6ed6-99b8-42bd-9865-93fc286708df

10/23/2026

Sweet 16 looks good on RTR Teacher Residency at Virginia Commonwealth University, and the entire School of Education is counting down the days until the Sweet 16 Celebration(only 6 days away!)

Sixteen years ago, the VCU RTR Teacher Residency Program launched with nine residents and one bold goal: Prepare exceptional teachers for the classrooms that need them most. Today, that goal has grown into 457 teachers prepared to serve in high-needs schools, more than 400 trained mentors, and partnerships with 29+ school districts, starting with Richmond Public Schools.

This is what happens when a top research university puts its expertise to work in real classrooms. RTR alumni are earning Teacher of the Year honors, stepping into leadership roles and strengthening schools and communities across the region.

Congratulations to founder Dr. Terry Dozier and the entire RTR community on 16 years of impact. VCU’s School of Education is proud to celebrate this milestone and excited about what comes next!

10/13/2026

Over the past 16 years, the RTR Teacher Residency at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Education has prepared 457 teachers, trained more than 500 mentors and reached over 50,000 students.

Residents spend up to two full school years learning alongside veteran teachers in high-needs classrooms while earning their VCU degrees. By the time they lead classrooms of their own, they have already experienced an entire school year from start to finish, with a whole team cheering them on.

The results speak for themselves: 100% of principals rated RTR graduates as more effective at demonstrating content knowledge than typical new teachers.

Now, educators from across the country are coming to VCU to see the program in action.

Meet the mentors and future teachers behind RTR:
https://news.vcu.edu/article/vcus-teacher-residency-program-leads-the-way-for-teacher-preparation-in-richmond-and-across-virginia

10/06/2026

You already know your field. Now learn what it takes to land the faculty role.

VCU School of Education's Graduate Certificate in Preparing Future Faculty gives you a behind-the-scenes look at faculty life, all in just 12 credit hours.

- Build a competitive academic portfolio, including your CV, teaching and research statements, and sample syllabi
- Get hands-on teaching experience with seasoned faculty mentors
- Learn how to balance teaching, research and service
- Find the right fit among different institutions and faculty roles

Faculty-created and faculty-led. SCHEV-approved. Preparing future professors for more than 30 years.

Your next move starts here:

09/29/2026

The VCU School of Education mourns the loss of Mr. Jim Ukrop, a devoted Richmond leader and champion for education. His early belief in RTR helped shape a program that continues to prepare teachers for Richmond's schools. We are grateful for his legacy and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who loved him.

09/17/2026

Mark your calendars! Our Dyslexia Symposium is bringing in a powerhouse for this year's keynote, and trust us, you don't want to miss her.

Meet Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan: SLP, researcher, author, and honestly... a legend in the literacy world. For over 25 years she's been doing the work that changes lives; building research-backed reading interventions for Spanish and English-speaking students, chairing the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, and even picking up a Telly Award along the way. If there's a "who's who" of dyslexia and literacy advocacy, she's on it.

Her keynote, "Structured Multiliteracy: The Bridge to Equity," is exactly what it sounds like; a bridge between research and classroom practice. The bridge between languages, struggling readers, and the equitable instruction they deserve. This isn't theory for theory's sake; it's practical, proven, and built for educators who want every student to have a real shot at literacy.

Whether you're an educator, a specialist, a parent, or just someone who believes every kid deserves to read with confidence, this one's for you.

Save your seat before it fills up: https://soe.vcu.edu/ruth-harris-professorship/dyslexia-symposium/

This annual symposium, hosted by the VCU School of Education and the T/TAC, is funded by the Ruth Harris Professorship. The 2026 Dyslexia Symposium is presented in partnership with the Virginia Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (VBIDA). The event is open to students, educators, advoca...

07/27/2026

🎉 Exciting news from the VCU School of Education!

Associate Professor Paul Harris has been awarded the VCU Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant ($25,000) for his proposal, "Strengthening Mental Health in Faith Communities."

Building on prior su***de prevention training, this pilot project will collaboratively develop and evaluate a strengths-oriented mental health support model — grounded in the values of Saint Paul's Baptist Church and the broader Richmond community.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Harris! 👏

Learn more about the VCU School of Education - https://soe.vcu.edu
Learn more about Dr. Paul Harris - https://soe.vcu.edu/about-us/directory/full-directory/paul-c-harris-phd.html
Learn more about the Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant - https://community.vcu.edu/resources/grants/thriving-communities-pilot-grant/