News

Two prominent educators receive honorary doctorates at Salem State's graduate commencement

In ceremonies held yesterday at Salem State for those receiving master's degrees and certificates of advanced graduate study, two prominent educators were honored for their tireless advocacy for the children of this nation's poor inner cities--and for the rights of these young people to obtain the same level of education as their peers in suburbia.

Nahant resident Dr. Claire Crane, who for 19 years has led the Robert L. Ford School in one of Lynn's most impoverished neighborhoods as principal, was cited as "the architect of an educational renaissance whose repercussions serve as a model for what creative thinking, a passion for education, a deep commitment to youth, and a never-give-up attitude can achieve," prior to receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Byfield resident and nationally renowned educator Dr. Jonathan Kozol, who also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, was acknowledged as "the conscience of a nation, and the greatest hope for our children's future."

Kozol, who was also the commencement speaker, spoke to a return to teaching basics as opposed to "teaching to a curriculm and teaching to a constant series of tests. Take the time," he told teachers in the audience, "to listen to those little, innocent voices of your charges, even if it isn't 'scheduled' by the district or school system into your busy day." In the end, he noted, those small interchanges will be far more important to both teacher and student than the result of any MCAS exam.

Kozol also honored the memory of his friend Fred Rogers, of the long running children's television show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, by wearing blue Keds sneakers with his commencement regalia.