Northeastern education dean readies for next chapter

(Tahlequah, Okla.) After a nearly 40-year career in education, Dr. Kay Lallier Grant is ready to stay up too late on a school night and read a wonderful book. Northeastern State Universitys dean of the College of Education will retire at the end of this year. Grant has held the position since 2001 (served as interim dean from 2001-2003).

The only thing standing between her and that wonderful book was one more commencement. On Dec. 16 Grant took to the Tahlequah stage to address the next generation of educators during the College of Education fall commencement ceremonies.

Most immediately I want to take a deep breath and rediscover what I want to be when I grow up, said Grant of her retirement plans. I want to laugh more and spend time with family, travel and do some writing.

If my dreams come true Ill write books for children and visit schools to talk to them about reading and writing.

The award-winning educator/administrator and published author caught the education bug as a psychology major.

I was fascinated with studying how children go from not knowing to knowing and what I could do to facilitate that process, said Grant. That led me to pursuing certification to work with preschool children.

During her early career, Grant served in several capacities from pre-school and kindergarten positions for the Muskogee Area and Haskell Public Schools to her first taste of higher education as an instructor and field coordinator for Northeastern.

Grant has spent more than half her career on the hallowed grounds of the former Cherokee Female Seminaryoverseeing curriculum, writing grants, presenting research and directing future generations in the noble profession of teaching. As dean for Oklahomas largest teacher producing institution, she has seen much in her education tenureboth good and bad.

We have always worked hard in the preparation of teacherstrying to develop in them the knowledge, skills and dispositions they will need to be successful, said Grant. The process is now much more regulated and under greater scrutiny than ever before through the state and national accreditation. The challenges our candidates will face are greater than ever before even though the public respect and compensation have not increased all that much.

The veteran teacher and administrator offered sound advice to those still wading through budget shortfalls and legislative mandates.

Come together. Pick a cause or project and work together to make it happen, Grant said. Don't stop dreaming big dreams or take the lack of funding as an excuse to not advocate for what children and families need to succeed.

All in all, Grant is proud of her time spent at Northeastern.

When I look back over my tenure, Im grateful for the passage of so many milestonesrenovations to the building and re-establishment of the third floor on Bagley Hall, creation of the Reading Clinic at our NSUBA campus, the universitys first million-dollar gift to establish the Cappi Wadley Center for Reading and Technology in Tahlequah, two successful accreditation visits, international experiences to Vienna and Taiwan for undergraduates and Ireland for graduate students, and most of all, for being able to hire outstanding young faculty who will carry on the work once we are gone.

Grant holds a doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University, a masters in Special Education/Mental Retardation from the University of Tulsa and bachelors degrees in Psychology and Human Development and Family Life from the University of Kansas.