DSC names new School of Education academic leadership

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2015) - Dr. Amy Ringue has been named academic chair of the School of Education at Dayton

a State College, replacing Dr. Les Potter, who has retired after serving in the post since the college began offering education-focused bachelor’s degrees in 2009.

Education professor Margie Hensler has been promoted to assistant chair.

“Daytona State is fortunate to have on board two high-caliber, experienced educators to take over the reins of our education programs,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Locklear. “We are confident that with their background, skills, talents and passion, the college will continue to produce high-quality teachers to serve Volusia, Flagler and the state of Florida’s young students for years to come.”

Daytona State’s education school houses seven baccalaureate degree offerings in K-12 education and an Educator Preparation Institute designed to train non-education baccalaureate degree holders to become K-12 teachers.

Ringue joined Daytona State in 2011, teaching upper-level courses and carrying out various administrative duties related to program approvals, reporting, grants and faculty supervision. She is a National Board Certified Teacher with 13 years of experience in public school classrooms in Georgia and Volusia County schools. Currently, she is working in partnership with Volusia and Flagler schools on the Bridge to College Cadre and Florida Standards grants initiatives.

Ringue co-chairs the college’s Academic Success Team, chairs the School of Education Curriculum Committee and is a facilitator for Daytona State’s faculty professional development initiative called the QuESST (Query, Exploration, Service, Scholarship and Teaching) Academy.

She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Emory University. Ringue is a member of the Florida Association of Teacher Educators, Florida Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Association of Florida Colleges, Kappa Delta Phi and Phi Delta Kappa.

Hensler also joined Daytona State in 2011, serving as an assistant professor in the School of Education. She has over 13 years of public school service in Florida as a teacher and administrator. At DSC, she also serves as co-chair of the Service Learning Committee and is a member of several other college-wide committees. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Southeastern University, a master of science degree from Nova Southeastern University and is expected to earn her doctorate at the University of Florida in December 2015.

In addition to participating in full-time public school internships for a semester, students enrolled in Daytona State’s education-focused bachelor’s programs are encouraged to take part in service learning projects. Last year, Hensler and fellow professors Donald May and Maryann Gromoll led a group of students to Haiti, where they worked with teachers and students in the impoverished town of Cap Haitian. Dubbed “Teaching Beyond Borders,” the project has become a model for service-learning initiatives college wide.

More than 70 students graduate from the School of Education each year. In the most recent reporting year, 2013-2014, over 95 percent of graduates found employment, according to the Florida Education Training Placement Information Program.

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