UW News

May 11, 2000

Patricia Wasley selected as dean of College of Education

News and Information

Patricia Wasley, who currently is dean of the Graduate School of Education at Bank Street College in New York, has been selected to be dean of the University of Washington College of Education, effective Sept. 1, 2000. The appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Regents.

“Patricia Wasley has a broad and varied background as a public school teacher, administrator and as a dean,” said UW President Richard L. McCormick. “She has worked actively as a change agent both within the school system and as an administrator responsible for educating teachers. As the University of Washington expands its relationships with the K-12 system, the College of Education will assume an even more important role in facilitating our partnerships and helping to improve the education our children receive.”

Wasley has been dean at Bank Street College since 1996. She led the faculty in a comprehensive redesign of the teacher education program and built new school-university partnerships with school districts. From 1989 to 1996, she was a senior researcher for school change at the Coalition of Essential Schools and Annenberg Institute of School Reform at Brown University, where she was principal investigator on issues related to teacher change and whole school change. From 1988 to 1989 she was a project director with the Puget Sound Educational Consortium, directing the Medina Project, which studied 85 teachers as they explored aspects of teacher leadership.

Wasley began her teaching career in 1975 as an English and social studies teacher at Cannington High School in Perth, Australia. She taught English at Nooksack Valley High School from 1977 to 1981. From 1982 to 1986 she was curriculum supervisor for Educational Service District 112 in Vancouver, Wash.

Wasley is the author of four books, including “Making Change,” which is about to be published, and “Kids and School Reform,” published in 1997.

Wasley has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Western Washington University and an Ed.D. in policy, governance and administration from the UW.

Her salary will be $170,000.