Largest Gift Ever to GSE Expands Flanders Fellowship Program

The Graduate School of Education recently received the largest private gift in its 107-year history. Mary Jane Brinton, a loyal friend of the School, has donated over $1 million to help support graduate students who are committed to working with disadvantaged youth in inner-city schools.Her gift will allow the GSE to recruit future teachers who will serve as role models for minority students in urban schools. "This generous donation will make a difference in the lives of countless children for many years to come," said Dean Eugene Garcia.

At the Graduate School of Education, Mary Jane Brinton has long been known as the "guardian angel" and benefactor of the Flanders Fellowship Program. Mrs. Brinton made her first gift to the Graduate School of Education in 1984, in honor of Ned Flanders, a former GSE faculty member known for his research on teacher effectiveness and for developing systematic procedures to analyze classroom interaction. To date, a total of 96 Flanders Fellowships have been awarded to some of the School's most dedicated students, encouraging them to make an impact on education for the underprivileged.

Mrs. Brinton's recent major gift initiates a new direction in the Flanders Fellowship Program - one that promises to make a long-term difference in urban schools. While the program will continue with its awards to graduate students, the increased funding will support recruitment, retention, and professional development beyond graduation. This comprehensive program will also empower newly credentialed teachers who are working in urban schools by providing them with discretionary funds to improve the conditions in their individual classrooms.

As a tutor in inner-city schools for over ten years, Mary Jane Brinton has gained a deep regard for public schools' efforts to achieve equal educational opportunities for all children and youth. In view of the high teacher dropout rates, she recognizes the tremendous need for creating a pipeline from student recruitment to teacher retention. Toward this end, the expanded program is designed to support GSE graduates during their first two years of teaching, when they are at greatest risk of leaving the profession.

Mrs. Brinton plans to meet with others who want to encourage qualified teachers to remain in the public schools where pupils are most in need. This major gift will lay the foundation for the Flanders Fellowship Program to become a national symbol for the linkage of academic excellence and social responsibility in the field of education.