Award-Winner Leaving Ed School

Despite the fact that he was named the "Outstanding Young Science Educator of 1971," Richard H. Weller, assistant professor of Science Education, will not retain his position at the Ed School. The Ed School has decided to discontinue funding of Weller's post as of 1971.

The Association for the Education of Science Teachers awarded Weller the title for his study of the interaction between supervisors and teacher trainees. Weller presented a 1000-word summary of his study to the association last January.

All students contacted at the Ed School yesterday praised Weller highly. First year student Vincente F. Simone said, "It may sound like a sales pitch but Weller's door was, in fact, always open. His leaving is definitely going to leave a gap."

Under the Ed School's reorganization plan, which was passed by the faculty last December, there will no longer be a great deal of emphasis on the "subject-oriented" programs, which concentrate on curriculum development and teacher supervision. Teachers in these programs who have no tenure are being forced to leave the Ed School when their contract runs out.

Weller said yesterday, "The new EdSchool program is basically oriented toward discovering what impact the environment has on child learning. Curriculum and supervision, my two interests, are gradually being phased out."

"In my opinion, there is going to be a major transitional trauma at the Ed School in the next couple of years. The old sense of community here is gone because so many people, especially the junior faculty in the subject-matter disciplines are leaving." he added.

Next September Weller will take the position of associate professor of Curriculum Instruction in the school of Education at the University of North Carolina.