Dr. Peter Kingsford
Dean, School of Education

   Chair, Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education Associate Professor of Education
    Classes taught: introduction to exceptional children, contemporary issues in education
    As a veteran in education -- he worked in the public school system as a special education teacher for 10 years and as a principle for 15 years -- Dr. Peter Kingsford knows that educators must have a passion for teaching. But he also knows that passion will only take a teacher so far. “Our students come into the School of Education with a passion for children, for teaching. We take them beyond that passion and give them the skills to make a real difference in a child’s life,” says Dr. Kingsford.
    Being effective is important to Dr. Kingsford, whether it is in the classroom or beyond. That’s why you’ll find him working in a variety of community service organizations, from Rotary and Civitan to associations for the blind or retarded. He may be swinging a hammer to build a playground at a school, reading to first graders, or taking a day each April to show some of his students the joy of volunteering with the local Special Olympics games. Finding a need and finding a way to meet that need -- that’s how Dr. Kingsford finds satisfaction.