Inside Education and Health Sciences

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine chose the Bombeck Family Learning Center as the location for an August press conference to make a couple of statewide education-related announcements.

The Bombeck Family Learning Center was chosen as the location because the University of Dayton's Department of Teacher Education recently received an A+ from the National Council of Teacher Quality for already implementing pillars of the science of reading into the preschool to grade 5 teacher preparation program. The department's undergraduate and graduate dyslexia certificates also recently earned Accredited Plus status by the International Dyslexia Association. 

Before the press conference, Gov. DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine had a meet-and-greet with the administration team at the Bombeck Center, leadership from the University, and faculty from the Department of Teacher Education. The discussion focused on the ways that the Bombeck Center incorporates age-appropriate literacy tools into all of its classrooms, from infants to preschoolers, and how the Center is where teacher candidates from the University of Dayton and other local universities come to observe, participate in the classrooms, and complete their student teaching internship. 

The press conference highlighted the state's new Read Ohio initiative and played a video that highlighted the research-based approach to teaching reading and literacy. While taking questions from the media, Gov. DeWine invited UD associate professor Mary-Kate Sableski up to the podium to answer a reporter's question about different approaches to teaching literacy. Sableski is the Leary Chair for Innovation in Education and Health Sciences.

After the press conference, the governor and first lady took a tour of the Bombeck Family Learning Center to interact with different age groups and observe the learning opportunities provided by the ACCESS curriculum.