Bernard “Bud” Spodek and Lilian G. Katz: From Humble Beginnings to Extraordinary Impacts
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As NAEYC celebrates 100 years of promoting high-quality early learning, we acknowledge that its mission has been shaped by many notable figures in the field. Two such individuals, Drs. Bernard “Bud” Spodek and Lilian G. Katz, both served as president of NAEYC’s Governing Board while also shaping the field of early childhood education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and beyond. These leaders made significant contributions toward expanding how the field understands and responds to children through an asset-based lens:
- Dr. Spodek advocated for the incorporation of special education content in early childhood teacher education programs. This was to ensure that future educators were prepared to provide inclusive settings for all children.
- Dr. Katz advocated for children to learn through inquiry- and project-based work. This included children from low socioeconomic backgrounds enrolled in Head Start programs.
Their work resonates today.
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Mary E. Lyons, PhD, is an assistant professor and the director of teacher education at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Prior to her work as a teacher educator, she taught for 11 years in early primary grades (K–3). Her scholarship centers around daily life in classrooms. [email protected]
Tanya Espinosa Cordoba, PhD, is an associate professor of education in the College of Education at Anderson University in South Carolina, where she teaches foundations courses and contemporary issues in children’s literature. She studied under Dr. Lilian Katz and received the inaugural Spodek Dissertation award in early childhood education during her graduate program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. [email protected]
Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith, PhD, is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and the Yew Chung-Bernard Spodek Scholar in Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [email protected]
Michaelene M. Ostrosky, PhD, is the Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor Emerita and Professor Emerita of Special Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She worked in academia for 30-plus years. Prior to that, she taught individuals with disabilities. Throughout her career, Dr. Ostrosky enjoyed mentoring graduate students and conducting research in inclusive early childhood settings. [email protected]