Early Childhood Education Associate Degree Program

Maegan Adams is an adjunct faculty member with over 20 years of experience in the early childhood field. Her career has been dedicated to the education and well-being of young children from birth to eight years old, encompassing roles such as teacher, early learning mentor and coach, education and literacy coordinator, assistant director, program administrator, and school readiness grant manager. In addition to her faculty position, Maegan currently serves as the Executive Director for a local early childhood program and is a State of CT approved Early Childhood Consultant.

Maegan holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus on Early Care and Education from the University of Connecticut (2008) and a Master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport (2010) and she is certified to teach children from kindergarten to grade six. Her academic achievements also include being a PreK to Grade Three Leadership Fellow from the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, she is currently the Co-President of CTAEYC, the state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In addition, she is an ITERS-3, and ECERS-3 Reliable Rater, and is a member of the CT Pyramid Model Master Cadre of trainers.

Maegan's philosophy emphasizes early childhood education as the fundamental building block for learning, creating the foundation for future success when nurtured appropriately. She believes in recognizing the diverse needs and strengths of educators, families, and children to help them reach their full potential. Maegan is committed to educating and supporting individuals to achieve high levels of success and foster their personal development.

Lead Faculty ECE 335; ECE 325; ECE 320; EDU 115

Jean Barresi has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 30 years in many capacities, including teacher, head teacher, and center director and has experience in a variety of ECE settings, such as private non-profit preschools and public magnet schools. She is a State of CT approved Early Childhood Consultant and a Co-President of the CT Association for the Education of Young Children (CTAEYC), a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Professor Barresi holds a CT #112 Birth-Kindergarten Integrated Early Childhood Special Education Certification and the CT #092 Intermediate Administrator Certification.

Professor Barresi is a Senior Education Specialist for Early Childhood Initiatives for the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) Resource Group. As a member of the Resource Group since February 2020, she provides technical assistance and coaching for early childhood programs in public schools, private schools, and community-based programs, including NAEYC accreditation support through CT’s Accreditation and Quality Improvement Supports. She also serves as a School Readiness Liaison for two districts in CT.

Jean joined the faculty at Charter Oak State College in 2019 and is lead faculty for ECE 335- Advanced Methods in Early Childhood Education/Special Education - Pre-K through Kindergarten; ECE 325- Personnel Management in Programs for Young Children; ECE 320- Global Perspectives in ECE; and EDU 115- Foundations in Education.

Jean’s expertise is in Early Childhood Education, leadership, and curriculum and instruction. She holds a 6th Year Diploma in Educational Leadership and a master’s degree in Teacher Leadership with a focus on literacy, both from Quinnipiac University. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University. She is a CT TEAM (CT’s Teacher Education and Mentoring Program for New Teachers) mentor, a Pre-K CLASS Reliable Observer, an ITERS-3 and ECERS-3 Reliable Rater, a PALS and Go NAPSACC Trainer, a Foundations Facilitator, and a member of the CT Pyramid Model Master Cadre of trainers.

Early Childhood Education is my passion and life's work. Throughout my career I have taught children from toddlers through the early elementary years in traditional, Montessori and special curriculum settings. I have taught adults and young adults in professional development setting, on college campuses and as a consultant in classroom settings. As a professor at Three Rivers Community College for 10 years and director and teacher at the Montessori Teacher Institute I continued to build my core knowledge base in the field not only from my ongoing studies but also from the broad perspective students brought and continue to bring to the discussions and through the variety of assignments.

Each of the courses I teach require some observation time in live classroom setting to support integration of concepts and experience with integration of methods. Whether students are on a traditional route or Montessori route these courses offer valuable practical applications.

My philosophy at Charter Oak State College is to strengthen student efficacy as current and future teachers in Montessori, traditional or alternative classroom settings. But, also, to create a safe forum for serious discussion and reflection where students can share diverse ideas and perspectives. I grade students based on the quality and colligate presentation of specific content shared, not on whether the student agrees with the Montessori Method of education or my belief system. Let's continue on our life long path as educators and students.

Lead Faculty, ECE 217; UCONN UCCEDD Developmental Teaching Specialist

Professor Boland has a master’s degree in Psychology from Mercy College, and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Western Connecticut State University. She also completed all the requirements for the BCBA at Mercy College and recently completed the developmental Teaching Specialists program at UCONN.

Professor Boland currently teaches at UCONN, University of Indianapolis, Norwalk College and Mercy College. She has been teaching online and in person for the last 10 years. When not teaching in higher education, she works for Birth to 3, specifically with children with Autism. Prior to Birth to 3, Professor Boland worked in NY in an Autism Specific classroom, for children Kindergarten to 3rd grade. This experience is what led her down the path of early intervention and entering into a BCBA program.

When not working, Professor Boland loves to be outside and she just loves summertime. She also loves animals and has been fostering cats now for a while. She also enjoys going to Nashville a few times each year!

Sarah L. Calzone has had a long career in Early Childhood Education. She started as a CDA candidate at Norwalk Community College, where she went on to earn her Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. Sarah completed her Bachelor's Degree at Charter Oak State College. She also holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University. Sarah has her CT #112 Birth-Kindergarten Integrated Early Childhood Special Education Certification through Charter Oak's ARC program and is also a Connecticut OEC-approved trainer.

Sarah has demonstrated her expertise in curriculum development, educator training, and family engagement throughout her career. She has worked as a Special Education Preschool and Kindergarten Teacher and as a Director of Child Care. She has published an article in NAEYC's Teaching Young Children. Her work has also been included in the book Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Equitable and Joyful Learning in Preschool.

Professor Samantha Endres serves as an adjunct professor at Charter Oak State College. Professor Endres is the lead faculty for ECE 231- Early Language and Literacy Development and enjoys teaching ECE 101 as well. Professor Endres is also a graduate of Charter Oak State College, graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. She continued her education, receiving her Master of Education with a Major in Curriculum and Instruction and a Minor in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University.

Samantha has spent over thirty years in the field teaching young children and designing curricula around a child's interests, skills, and development. Samantha believes that play is an educational tool that helps create the foundation for life-long learners. She works with childcare centers to help bring their programs up to NAEYC standards and create developmentally appropriate practices that encourage learning through a play-based curriculum. Samantha continues to teach in the early childhood education field both in the preschool classroom and here at Charter Oak.

Professor Endres continues to expand her work in the field by consulting with childcare centers and teachers in creating and implementing curriculum development, using play as an educational tool, assessing children through play, and creating individualized learning experiences in all learning domains. She is the owner of her own training and consulting program where she enjoys walking alongside educators to find teachable moments that connect them with children.

Professor Endres looks forward to learning alongside and supporting all students at Charter Oak State College.

Lead Faculty for ECE 205, ECE 351 and ECE 326

Professor Giberti is the former Director of the Institute of Child Development at the University of Oklahoma (OU). In addition to responsibilities at the Institute, Ms. Giberti has taught courses in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education – Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, Early Childhood Division at OU. As an independent consultant, she specializes in the administration of early care and education programs, staff training and education, and program development and evaluation.

Ms. Giberti has administered both large and small programs in the public and private sectors. For more than 30 years she has been involved with child and family advocacy and quality program initiatives. Currently, Ms. Giberti is engaged in research and study in culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy, the social studies, immigration and refugees, international students and perceptions of social justice in the United States, policy analysis, and gender as it affects early childhood and general education. She is also involved curriculum development.

Ms. Giberti has developed and taught online training workshops for Connecticut-Charts-A-Course and Charter Oak State College. She has presented her online development and teaching experiences at local, state, and national conferences. Additionally, she has presented her work at conferences relating to early childhood care and education and service learning while teaching English as a second language.

Professor Giberti currently teaches ECE 205- Diversity and Ethics in Early Childhood Education, ECE 326- Finance in Programs for Young Children, ECE 351- Advanced Leadership in Programs for Young Children, and ECE 325- Personnel Management in Programs for Young Children.

Interim ARC Coordinator and Faculty

Kate Griffin serves as the Interim ARC Coordinator here at Charter Oak State College. In addition to supporting the certification students at Charter Oak and teaching courses, she also provides academic advising to Child Studies undergraduate students. Before joining COSC in September of 2019, she worked as an Education Manager at a large Head Start program in New Haven, CT for several years. She has been a Preschool Teacher, an Infant & Toddler Caregiver, and Enrollment Specialist, an Education Coach, and a Disabilities & Mental Health Coordinator, all in a variety of program settings. While transitioning into administrative positions in early childhood, she obtained a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education at CCSU. “I hope to put my ‘student’ hat back on in May of 2023 to pursue a Doctorate in Educational Leadership”.

She plays a lot of different roles, but her favorite is being a mom. Kate has a 13 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. She married her husband in October 2020 and gained a bonus kid, a 17 year old stepdaughter, and also fostered her best friend for a period of time. Kate has had the joy of seeing how the principles that she learned in her undergraduate work in Human Development and Family Studies at UCONN has applied to her own, growing family. “I look forward to connecting with you soon and hearing about your journey in this field!”

Program Director and Lead Faculty for ECE 210, ECE 492, ECE 493 and ECE 495

Maureen Hogan serves as the Program Director at Charter Oak State College for the Early Childhood Education and Child Studies majors, as well as the AS major in Paraprofessional Studies. She also oversees the CT Director Credential program. As part of her responsibilities, she serves as an academic advisor to students in these programs and teaches in the early childhood program.

Dr. Hogan’s background is in Early Childhood Education. She holds the master level CT Director Credential and has served as an NAEYC Program Administrator for the Department of the Navy Child Development Programs in Keflavik, Iceland; Point Mugu, California; Bahrain and Guam. She also spent time as a Family Child Care Provider and is a prior certified public-school teacher, having taught in Fairfax County Virginia from 2000-2002.

In 2004, Maureen moved to CT with her family and began working in the City of Hartford as a consultant to School Readiness Programs. In 2010, she worked with a team to develop a non-profit child development center, King’s Chapel Early Care and Education. Still in operation today, the center is an NAEYC accredited School Readiness Program.

Professor Hogan obtained her advanced degrees from the University of Virginia and Capella University. Her research interests include urban education and early childhood teacher development and she has a particular love for online learning. She continues to work as an OEC State-Approved trainer and a CDA Specialist. She is the CEO of her newly developed CDA training program, where she enjoys working with adults seeking to earn the CDA as a first step to their career development.

Professor Hogan looks forward to working with all students at Charter Oak State College!

Please feel free to connect with Maureen on her LinkedIn account.

Tiffany began her journey in education 18 years ago, working primarily in Youth Development and Early Childhood Education. Tiffany holds an associate degree in early childhood education and a bachelor's degree in child studies. Invested in the non-profit sector while in college, Tiffany climbed the ladder to Director of Education with the Boys & Girls Club organization, where the passion and desire for working with underserved and often unseen communities was born. This is also the time when the seed for leadership and organizational development was planted.

Tiffany achieved a Master of Management and Organizational Leadership in 2015, and that time, the pivot into higher education and entrepreneurship occurred. She pursued an entrepreneurial path by starting a small consulting business that focuses on “quality educational services from baby and beyond”, and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Leadership and Organizational Development at UConn. In this role, she teaches first year experience courses, facilitates career and leadership workshops, and serves as a direct support for students. She also loves partnering with the department of Community Outreach where she can train staff dually in both leadership and early childhood topics!

In addition to her role at UConn, she is an adjunct professor at external colleges, focusing on courses related to childhood education as well as business. She has been happily teaching at Charter Oak since 2019. Tiffany is passionate about ensuring that all students have access to a quality and equitable education.

Dr. Sherese Jones has over 19 years of teaching experience in the field of Early Childhood Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. She has curriculum and instructional expertise on the secondary, community college and now 4-year college level specializing in Teacher Education. She received her Doctoral degree in Curriculum and Teaching, Master's in Adult Education, bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and a certification in Educational Leadership.

Sherese looks forward to continuous research in the area of teacher performance, student motivation, and classroom management techniques. Most of all she enjoys training future teachers on becoming great early childhood leaders and professionals in the field of education.

Susan Krampitz graduated from Bucknell University with a BS in Education, majoring in Elementary Education. She received a MS in Education from Western Connecticut State University. She taught second grade until leaving her teaching career to raise her children.

Susan volunteered for over 30 years with the UCONN Cooperative Extension System 4-H program. 4-H is a youth development organization with a mission to engage youth in hands-on learning, and leadership opportunities to reach their fullest potential, guided by adult mentors. She was hired as a 4-H Program Assistant in 1986 where she worked with volunteers to provide informal educational programs for youth.

When UCONN Cooperative Extension System and Eastern Connecticut State University collaborated to provide education opportunities to the staff of afterschool child care programs, Susan was hired as an Educational Assistant. She provided consultation on positive youth development and program planning for before and after school programs statewide and facilitated the development of networks of school-age child care professionals.

Susan is a founding member of Connecticut After School Network, Inc. (formerly Connecticut School-Age Care Alliance, Inc). an organization that provides support for after school professionals in Connecticut. She was a Network staff member from 1998 - 2016.

Professor Krampitz has been an Adjunct Professor at Charter Oak State College since 2006. She taught ASE 265 Child and Adolescent Development and ASE 398 Afterschool Education Practicum. She presently teaches EDU 100 Introduction to Paraprofessional Training and EDU 101 Behavior Strategies/Paraeducators.

Professor Lathrop is an adjunct faculty instructor for ECE 101, ECE 250, and EDU 360. She is the Clinical Supervisor and Field Placement Coordinator for ECE 299, 399, 492, and 494 Practicum courses.

She was thrilled to join the Early Childhood department at Charter Oak State College last year and came with a long history and deep knowledge of early childhood education and a passion for fostering high quality, developmentally appropriate classroom environments that enrich curriculum and are reflective of all developmental domains of learning.

In addition to her faculty roles here at COSC, Professor Lathrop is a certified Professional Development Specialist serving the Council for Professional Recognition in conducting verification visits for early childhood educators seeking the CDA credential. For the last few years, she has also been the on-site Director for an afterschool program serving elementary school children in grades K-5 and previously spent 14 years as an early childhood educator and Educational Coordinator in a NAEYC accredited, state funded preschool. During her preschool tenure, she developed tools for teachers to be more effective in their teaching practices and trained staff on new and improved ways to build their classroom curriculum to encourage children to be active and engaged learners.

In her personal life, you can find her at home spending quality time with her husband, their 7-year-old daughter, and the newest family member: a sassy, yet adorable English Bulldog puppy. She enjoys reading, cooking, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and planning her family's next Disney vacation!

Dr. Margaret “Peg” MacDonald's career in education and administration spans nearly 40 years as a Special Education Teacher, Building Principal, Director of Pupil Services, Director of Consulting Services, Educational Consultant, and College Professor. Peg has spent the past 47 years solving problems for school districts by developing and implementing innovative programs and services. She supervised 50 professional and support staff and managed a budget of over $8 million. She has led the development of programs such as COMPASS, a comprehensive job-embedded professional development curriculum developed specifically for paraprofessionals, and the Advanced Alternative Route to Certification program for special education. Peg is dedicated to creating organizational systems that are effective and efficient in including all students in a successful learning experience. As such, she has led over 60 program reviews for special education, counseling and alternative education programs. Peg is also passionate about providing relevant learning experiences for college students and practicing educators. . Peg has co-authored The Evaluator's Guide to Education Program Review and The Path to Positive Classroom Management. She has also authored The Administrator's Guide to Administration of Special Education. Peg has over 30 years working as adjunct faculty for several of the state and private colleges in Connecticut. She has taught courses in educational leadership and special education.

Peg holds a bachelor's degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Washington; a teacher certification, master's degree, administrative certification, and 6th year degree from Southern Connecticut State University; and a Ph.D.in Leadership from Andrews University in Michigan. She also performed graduate work at the University of Connecticut, and has several specialized training certifications.

Kimberly has worked in the field of early childhood education for over 20 years. Her roles have provided many experiences working with different education programs. She has experience writing program changes, collaborating with community partners, coordinating with Magnet Schools and LEAs, and guiding educators of young children. As an educator herself, she believes in utilizing data and developmentally appropriate practices to provide programmatic improvements. In each role, the use of reports and data collection has determined the goals to drive practice.

While working closely with the field, Kim has also found that it is equally important to become involved in community organizations, legislature, and consulting. Several years ago, she was honored to attend a workforce group at the LOB in Hartford, which focused on discussing Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and served as part of an ACCTE group for teacher certification programs at the capital. From 2016-2019, Kim served on the City of Hartford Early Childhood Taskforce helping to develop quality criteria, guidance to the Mayor of Hartford, and support to Hartford's Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation. Over the last 15 years, she has served as a consultant for programs, teachers, and non-profits. She facilitated trainings for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and up until 2020, acted as one of their lead trainers. Kim also held the Co-President position on the board for the Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children, our state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, from 2016-2020.

Most recently, Kim went back to work in the field, moving from 10 years in higher education to Director of Head Start for the northeast region of Connecticut. In this role, she continues to bring a multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of her work and showcases strong leadership. This includes working closely with diversely different groups and advocating for resources and funds. These opportunities consist of family/school partnerships, teachers & consultants, or even community organizations and networks that support the early childhood field.

Kim resides in Ledyard Connecticut with her husband and son. At home she enjoys gardening, cooking, and baking. Her favorite thing to bake includes a family favorite called chocolate zucchini cake. To relax, Kim goes to the beach, nothing makes her happy than putting her toes in the sand.

Katie has been in the Early Childhood field for over 20 years. Currently she is an Executive Director of an Early Care and Education program. Previously, in her tenue at the City of Hartford she led collective impact for early care and education through the Mayor's Cabinet for Young Children, provided quality assurance to grant funded child care programs, managed a literacy project which supported the early childhood community through parent focus groups, home visiting efforts, and provided professional development for early childhood educators.

Additionally, she has been a Program Director for child care centers that were state and nationally funded as well as employer-sponsored programs.

She also is a trainer/coach for Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children, CT Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS curriculum framework), Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (DOTS assessment), and Connecticut Core Knowledge and Competency Framework for Professionals Working with Young Children and their Families. As well as an Adjunct Professor at Charter Oak State College.

Katie has a Bachelor's Degree from Post University and Master's Degree in Education Administration from National-Louis University and serves on the Board of Directors as the President Elect for the Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children and leads its Greater Hartford Region Chapter.

Professor Emeritus at University of Hartford and Lead Faculty for ECE 399 and ECE 494; Early Childhood Program Mentor and Consultant

Dr. Regina Miller graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature, M.A. in Child Development, and PhD. in Developmental and Child Psychology with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis.

Professional experiences include being on the early childhood and special education faculty of the University of Hartford, Department of Education in the College of Education 34 years and serving as the Chair of the Department of Education 8 years. For 17 years, she was the founding director of the University of Hartford Early Childhood Center, a model program for inclusion of all children in a play-based preschool environment. Other work includes serving as consultant to School Readiness in Hartford, Research Associate at the UCONN Health Center, external evaluator for a Federal grant, co-investigator of a Head Start on Science grant, Constant to early childhood higher education accreditations/approvals and consultant to area school systems and programs. Dr. Regina Miller has been part of the Charter Oak faculty for many years working with practicum students.

Regina is a frequent presenter at local, state, regional, national and some International Early Childhood conferences. She is a published author of journal articles in her field. Her book, The Developmentally Appropriate Inclusive Classroom in Early Education, was published by Delmar in 1996. Her second book written in collaboration with Ann Gruenberg, R. (2010). Practical Guide to Early Childhood Inclusion: Effective Reflection was published by Pearson. Dr. Regina Miller lectured and observed in preschools and kindergartens in Beijing, China sponsored by Minzu University in Beijing.

Dr. Miller serves as a mentor and consultant to the early childhood program at Charter Oak and also teaches ECE 399- Child Studies Practicum and ECE 494- ECE Practicum and Capstone for the ECTC.

Elisabeth Morel has been the Director of AccessAbility Services at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) for the past twelve years. Prior to her arrival at WCSU, she was a Program Coordinator at the Center for Students with Disabilities at her alma mater, University of Connecticut. Elisabeth holds a bachelor's and master's degree in K-12 special education and Advanced Leadership Certificate in Postsecondary Disability Services. In addition to overseeing all student accommodations and awareness initiatives at WCSU, she chairs the Digital Accessibility Compliance Committee. Her career has included developing procedures for, and managing, AccessAbility Services, assisting faculty in understanding and using Universal Design for Learning within their classroom, providing campus wide digital accessibility training, and coordinating a statewide digital accessibility training program for individuals with disabilities.

Before transitioning to higher education, Elisabeth gained valuable experience working in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) preschool setting. This early career experience informs her comprehensive approach to supporting students with diverse needs. Elisabeth has spent over eighteen years in the field of working with students with disabilities and developing plans to meet the unique needs her students.

Retired Program Director, ECE, Norwalk Community College; Lead Faculty for ECE 247, UCONN UCCEDD Faculty Consultant for Early Childhood Inclusive Education

Joan Parris has had a long career in Education beginning as a Head Start Teacher in New York. She has taught young children, adults and English language learners. Much of her time in the field of early childhood has been in administration as a Director, trainer and coordinator of Head Start programs and other state funded entities and the Director of the Early Childhood program at NCC working to bridge the academic program and the lab school theories and practices. Prior to retirement Joan was the Director of Early Childhood Community Education working as the liaison between the college and the broader community, national, international state and local. She has served on many advisory councils such as the State Early Childhood Council, the Head Start Advisory Council and the Children’s Trust fund Council. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Sacred Heart University and a Bachelor of Arts from Framingham State College. Joan is married with a son, Sean, a daughter, Judith, and she has 3 wonderful grandchildren.

Professor Stone is a Professional Learning Specialist for Early Childhood Initiatives for ACES supporting South Central Connecticut. Mary provides technical assistance and coaching for early childhood programs in public schools, private schools, and community-based programs, including NAEYC accreditation support through CT's Accreditation and Quality Improvement Supports. Mary is an OEC approved trainer for the Connecticut Standards, Curriculum and Assessment content for CT ELDS and CT DOTS. She teaches classes that support educators pursuing their Child Development Associate (CDA).

She also supports early childhood special education intiatives through the Connecticut State Department of Education.

Mary has worked in the field of Education and Early Education in many capacities, including teacher, curriculum specialist and trainer. She is a CT TEAM (CT's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program for New Teachers) mentor and TEAM Chief Reviewer, a PALS and Go NAPSACC Trainer, and a member of the CT Pyramid Coaching cohort.

Professor Stone holds a CT #113 Elementary Education Certification, CT #065 PreK-12 Special Education Certification and the CT #092 Intermediate Administrator Certification. She holds a 6th Year Diploma in Educational Leadership from University of Connecticut and a master's degree in Admininstration from Central Connecticut State University. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Providence College.

Mary is married and has three (almost) adult children who still keep her suprisingly busy! And of course her favorite dog Laney!

"I am so excited to be able to work in supporting our current and future educators in their own learning. Transitioning from teaching young children to teaching adults has been so rewarding. Watching the commitment from educators in the field to the children and family in their care is always inspiring".

Jennifer Traver has worked in the early childhood field for 18 years. She began her career as a preschool teacher and then a director of a School Readiness funded center. Currently, Jennifer is a CT approved Early Childhood Education Consultant. She offers a variety of professional development trainings and coaching opportunities for both toddler and preschool teachers.

In the spring of 2024, Jennifer began working with faculty at her alma mater, Saint Joseph's College of Maine, to extend the MSEd Program to include a concentration in Early Childhood Education.

Jennifer has a background in Psychology (BA) and Education (MSEd). She has a passion for educational research, focusing most recently on both kindergarten readiness and fostering inclusive learning environments. Outside of her career, Jennifer enjoys photography and writing children's stories.

Lead Faculty for ECE 222 and ECE 176; Faculty Consultant and Special Projects

Deborah P. Watson has been a teacher of young children, a head-facilitator/principal, and a district-wide administrator who supervised large early childhood programs (birth through grade 3) in both community and school-based programs. Throughout her career, Professor Watson’s focus has been on curriculum development with a specialized emphasis on language development and literacy acquisition. Additionally, early on in her career, she learned that she could not teach if she did not take the time to create a caring community in her classroom first. Developing mutual respect between and among children and the instructional team is critical.

Professor Watson's other professional interests include supporting teachers and influencing public policy. In this realm she facilitated two communities' efforts to improve the lives of young children and their families. She represented one of the three cities (Hartford) involved in the State’s School Readiness and Early Reading Success legislative acts. In Bridgeport she (along with a team of community representatives) facilitated the creation of a five-year plan, Blueprint for Young Children, to support all children and families. Professor Watson is grateful for her 38 years of service to urban children and their families as a teacher and an administrator.

Since retiring from public education, Professor Watson has been sharing her knowledge and experiences with pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers as an adjunct at Charter Oak State College, Post University and the University of Hartford. While at Post, she was the program manager/department chair where she revised the existing AS degree and created the BS degree. Her work at Post led Post to become one of the State’s first four approved colleges to offer the ECTC (Early Childhood Teaching Credential). Professor Watson’s unique background enables her to maintain her passion of supporting prospective and current teachers. She remains "a teacher at heart!"

Professor Watson's research interests include studying the effects of interactions between teachers and children as well as the early language/literacy acquisition of mainstream and second language learners. After 40 + years as an urban educator, Professor Watson feels that teachers need to develop positive relationships by having genuine interactions with each child each day. To that end, she worked with the University of Virginia’s CASTL team during the initial implementation phases of the CLASS assessment tool. Currently she is serving as a consultant in a VA community college.

Professor Watson holds a 6th year diploma in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford and CT certifications 001 PreK-8 and 092 Intermediate Instruction and Supervision.

Ilyse Wells is a faculty member at Charter Oak State College currently serving as instructor for ECE 210. She is a Connecticut certified teacher with an advanced degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hartford. Ilyse has 20 plus years of experience teaching in both private and public schools. She currently teaches preschool at the School for Young Children, a Reggio inspired school affiliated with the University of Saint Joseph. She enjoys connecting children to nature and fostering their emotional and social development. She is passionate about supporting and mentoring college students who are entering the field of ECE as well as presenting ECE topics to fellow teachers and community members.

Ilyse has lived in Connecticut most of her life except while in College at Humboldt State University in Northern California. When not working, Ilyse enjoys hiking and going to the beach as well as working on her home and property. She has a special fondness for traveling to Costa Rica and finding remote natural places to explore; most recently with her three young adult children.