Staff Members earn PhD

Just like its students, Parkway North’s teachers are always pursuing knowledge and greater standards of education. This past year, two more staff members – Dr. Karen LaFever and Dr. Rhonda Page – earned doctorates in education, putting them in the highest tiers of high school educators.

“I went to UMSL … [for my PhD] in ‘Curriculum and Instruction’, which is also known as ‘Teaching and Learning’,” said LaFever. “I started in the spring of 2006 and went until the fall of 2012, so essentially 6 years, but I was also teaching full time at the time, I have 3 children at home, [so] I was working part time for my doctorate.”

Dr. LaFever currently teaches science and specializes in astronomy and meteorology, but a doctorate in education provides one with an important set of skills specifically for teaching.

“I think the past six years I really focused on how to use technology, how to use research, how to use data, and how to implement that more in my classroom by following kids’ progress more closely,” LaFever explained.

Beyond the education and skills she learned, LaFever said she learned from the community it created with her fellow educators.

“[One of the] most beneficial [things I learned] was actually the people I met there – being able to talk to other colleagues from other districts, get ideas of what classes are most appropriate for students, how to better differentiate instruction. So it was great learning in terms of the statistical information I gained as well as meeting new colleagues around the St. Louis county area,” LaFever said.

The other staff member to earn a doctorate was Page, who is the assistant principal for the sophomores. Page received a doctorate in “Educational Leadership”, which assists her as a school administrator.

“[My degree took] seven semesters of coursework, which is approximately two-and-a-half years,” said Page. “There were some times when I had to choose that schoolwork over things over here for North High. On the other hand, the things I was learning in the program helped me a lot with the things I was doing here at North High.”

Page has already implemented the things she learned here at North in the curriculum learning teams, and how teachers in the same teams have common plan periods to “meet and talk and design methods to try to improve student achievement”.

Doctorates are the highest measurements of education, and the educators who receive them work to extend their knowledge to others.

“That was one of the things we had talked about and learned about in my Maryville program – how do we, as educational leaders, create systems and structures that support student learning,” Page said.

While Page said she doesn’t plan on going back to school soon, LaFever plans to receive another master’s degree. Even when they’re on the other side of the desk, the teachers at Parkway North continue to pursue knowledge.

 by Jonathan Herzog