More Than 300 Charter School Students, Teachers to Visit Tallahassee on April 2

    FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, March 31, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Tuesday, April 2, 2013 more than 300 public charter school students and teachers will visit the Capitol. Part of Charter School Day in Tallahassee, the day will include meetings with legislators and observing session from the House and Senate Gallery.

The main objective of the visit will be to spread the word about public charter schools' successes and growing popularity among communities throughout Florida. The group will also urge legislators to continue to support public charter schools by making sure per student funding mirrors per student funding at District public schools.

For more than sixteen years, public charter schools in Florida have served students from Tallahassee to Key West, Okaloosa to Indian River. In that time, public charter schools have provided a quality public education option to hundreds of thousands of families and, in many cases, met the needs of students in underserved communities. Today there are more than 203,000 students enrolled in public charter schools in the state, and that number continues to grow every year. However, the funding for a student attending a public charter school has not kept pace with demand, and continues to be far below what a child attending a district-run public school receives. This legislative session, the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS) and its member schools, teachers, parents and students are asking legislators to correct this wrong.

The Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools (FCPCS), a 501(c) charter school support organization, is coordinating this event. Since 1999, FCPCS has provided a seamless system of support to charter schools and helped promote the establishment, and operation, of high quality public charter schools through the development and implementation of focused statewide and online activities. FCPCS members include more than 400 of the state's 512 public charter schools.

Media Contact: Lynn Norman-Teck (305) 216-6208 l.norman-teck@floridacharterschools.org

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President Duffy and First Lady visit Upper Iowa University alumni in Sumner

President Bill Duffy and wife Sharon visited with Hillcrest Home, Sumner, residents and UIU alumni (from left) Cal Harms '48, Emma (Burkhart) Hough '26, Lorraine Creager '66, Sharon and Bill Duffy, Betty C. Hoth '64, Becky (Harms) Read '74, Almira Pease '31, and Lugene Treloar '71.

FAYETTE, Iowa (June 21, 2013) – Stories of campus and respected UIU professors filled the conference room at Hillcrest Home care center in Sumner, Iowa, this week. Seven Upper Iowa University School of Education alumni enjoyed fellowship and cupcakes as they reminisced and shared personal stories of their college years and their teaching years with President Bill Duffy and First Lady Sharon Duffy.

"We were honored to share the afternoon with these Upper Iowa alumni," said UIU President William R. Duffy II, Ed.D, Ed.S. "These people are the roots of our institution and have such a valuable history to share. They are the reason Upper Iowa University continues to be successful. For decades, these esteemed School of Education graduates imparted their knowledge in their classrooms and made a positive impact in many young lives. Sharon and I were overjoyed to spend time with them. Their stories will be a welcome addition to our UIU archive project."

Upper Iowa University is in the process of gathering alumni stories and memorabilia for the University archives on the Fayette campus.

Among the Hillcrest Home group was Upper Iowa's oldest living alumna, Emma (Burkhart) Hough '26, who is 108-years-old. A double-major in English and biology, Hough was active on campus and one year was the women's tennis tournament champion. With her new honor, she was selected to coach the team while still in college. Upon graduation, Hough was hired as a physical education teacher and head girls basketball coach in her hometown of Sumner. She also taught school in Ironwood and Manistee, Mich., before retiring in 1969. She and her husband, Charles, lived in New York City during the summers to attend Columbia University's master's program. A full article regarding Hough's adventures at Upper Iowa and beyond can be read on the University's blog, Peacock Tales, at http://uiupeacocktales.tumblr.com/.

Betty C. Hoth '64 shared stories of not only attending Upper Iowa, but welcoming many UIU student-teachers into her kindergarten classroom at Durant Elementary in Sumner, Iowa. She laughed as she recalled a UIU professor who would observe the student-teachers in the classroom. "He would sit right down on one of those little kindergarten chairs with the kids!" she said. "I guess he wanted to be right down with the kids to see what it was like to learn from the Upper Iowa student-teachers." Hoth says she keeps in contact with many of her former student-teachers, especially at Christmas time.

Hoth also said that one of the professors she enjoyed was Dick Clark, a 1953 UIU alumnus and history professor from 1959-1967. He served as a United States Senator from Iowa from 1973-1979 and later became an ambassador at large and United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs. "He was a great teacher," Hoth recalled. "He has a brilliant mind."

Lorraine Creager '66 and Lugene Treloar '71 had similar stories to tell. After raising their families, both went back to school to earn their teaching degrees from Upper Iowa. Creager taught a number of years for the Tripoli Community School District, while Treloar taught in the Fredericksburg School District for 21 years.

President Duffy also visited with Cal Harms '48, Almira Pease '31 and Becky (Harms) Read '74.
A full gallery of the Presidential visit can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/upperiowauniversity/.

Please contact the UIU Office of Advancement at 800-553-4150 (ext.3+2) or alumni@uiu.edu to schedule a presidential visit to a facility where Peacock Alumni call home.

President Bill Duffy poses with UIU's oldest living alumna Emma (Burkhart) Hough '26. She is 108-years-old.

President Bill Duffy and Cal Harms '48

President Duffy and Lorraine Creager '66

First Lady Sharon and President Duffy and Betty C. Hoth '64

About Upper Iowa University Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to some 6,200 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.

Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Associate Vice President for Communication and Marketing
Phone 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu

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Upper Iowa University hosts Independence High School group during college visit tour

Upper Iowa University hosted 17 high school juniors and seniors from Independence, Iowa, on a special week-long Iowa college tour experience.

FAYETTE, Iowa (July 9, 2013) – The Upper Iowa University Office of Admissions hosted 17 high school juniors and seniors from Independence, Iowa, recently as one of the last stops on their Iowa college tour week. The packed week was made possible by a $10,000 grant from Building Directions for Families, a non-profit organization that provides funding for the decategorization of youth in Iowa.

The tour was divided into five segments including stops in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Des Moines, Ames, Waterloo, Waverly, Calmar, Decorah and Dubuque.

At Upper Iowa University, President Bill Duffy greeted the group to kick off their visit. It was the first time they had met a college president on any of their stops. Admission counselors treated them to a tour of campus and explained UIU's unique "two-at-a-time" class schedule and opportunities with UIU's Office of Student Development. The students even visited with Pete the Peacock and danced to many of UIU's favorite pep songs.

About Upper Iowa University Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to some 6,200 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.

Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Associate Vice President for Communication and Marketing
Phone 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu

View the original article here