Amy Smith began her job as dean of Capella University\u2019s School of Education in May 2016. But her familiarity with Capella dates back several years to when she was a department chair for a graduate school program in Chicago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed that the best adjunct professors in our department were graduates of Capella,\u201d Smith says. \u201cThere was something about how they performed when it came to teaching and research that stood out. They did both really well. They were great faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith has served as an administrator at several educational institutions, but she describes her entry into education as a \u201chappy accident.\u201d After graduating college with her bachelor\u2019s degree, she embarked on a career as a book editor in Columbus, Ohio. The work didn\u2019t engage her, however, so she eventually quit to pursue a master\u2019s degree in education\u2014a move that proved fateful.<\/p>\n Smith discovered she had a passion for helping students and a knack for teaching. She taught English at a high school in Cleveland for several years before moving to Denver, where she won several teaching awards. Eventually, her passion moved her to seek out administrative roles, where she could impact a greater population by teaching other teachers how to excel.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically, if you look at my career, I was looking for a backup plan and that backup plan ended up being my entire life,\u201d Smith says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What does she like about teaching? \u201cTeaching is a creative endeavor,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s an ever-evolving process. You\u2019re never perfect at it, so you always get to grow and learn new things.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, teaching is \u201cmission-driven,\u201d Smith observes. Being a teacher has given her the opportunity to teach the children of Mexican migrant workers and first-generation college students\u2014experiences that enriched her life, she says. \u201cAt the core of everything you do as a teacher are human beings. You have the ability to impact lives in a significant way.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Smith has big plans for Capella. She wants to continue building partnerships with school districts and charter schools to give Capella students more access to real-life experiences and research opportunities. She also wants to further hone Capella\u2019s expertise in educational technology and innovation. \u201cI want us to be leaders in technology from several perspectives\u2014research, service to districts, and degrees offered,\u201d Smith says.<\/p>\n She also wants Capella to be a national leader in closing the achievement gap in K-12 education in America. \u201cWe want to teach teachers to teach more effectively, and I think we can influence the entire teaching force across the United States. To do that, we have to build relationships inside of districts, so when leaders in those school districts think about how can they improve, they call Capella.\u201d<\/p>\n Such advances will require hard work and effort by Capella faculty, but Smith has no doubt that the School of Education can meet her expectations. \u201cEveryone here is deeply passionate about learning and growth,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve been surprised and delighted by the commitment of everyone here, and by their positivity. People at Capella believe anything is possible if you put your mind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Learn more about Capella\u2019s <\/em>online education degrees and programs<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nA Career Changer<\/h4>\n
Teaching for Impact<\/h4>\n
A Blueprint for Change<\/h4>\n