The former director of one of the largest teacher-preparation colleges in the country has been hired to lead the new School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Elizabeth Hinde, who previously was a faculty member at Arizona State University since 2004 and served as director of the Division of Teacher Preparation at the university’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College since 2011, will be the founding dean of the new school at Metro.
The school has previously offered education degree programs through the College of Professional Studies; those existing programs will now be offered by the School of Education. Metro’s current teacher program is the second largest in the state. Last year it enrolled nearly 2,000 students in various programs.
The new school was formed based on recommendations of a $1.88 million Title III federal grant Metro received in 2010. The new school is expected to focus on teachers’ educational effectiveness within multi-cultural, bilingual, and historically underserved populations.
“I became a teacher to make a positive difference in the lives of students and that continues to be my anchor today,” said Hinde in a statement. “With MSU Denver’s strong reputation for teacher preparation, I saw the potential to be able to do some remarkable things in how we shape and deliver education, with an institution that really values the role of teachers.”
Before joining Arizona State, Hinde was also an elementary social studies teacher for more than 20 years in Arizona, serving at-risk students.
Disclosure: Chalkbeat reporter Nic Garcia is an adjunct journalism instructor at Metro.