Feb 4, 2016 By Rob Mckinney for The Yellow Jacket 4 min read

At the beginning of the Spring semester, Professor Yvonne Weaver of the education department at Waynesburg University accepted the role as Interim Chair of Education after former Department Chair Debra Clarke announced her retirement in late Sept.

Weaver served as the Field Placement Coordinator and Certification Officer for the Education Department for the past five years. Her role was to help upperclassman students find student teaching opportunities.

Weaver offers more than just the title “Field Placement Coordinator,” as she spent most of her career in the Trinity Area School District in leadership positions. 

Weaver worked for 34 years in public education for the Trinity Area School District as a Principal of Trinity East Elementary and Assistant Superintendent. 

An opportunity arose at Waynesburg University a few years after Weaver accepted the role of Assistant Superintendent at Trinity.

Weaver met with former Chair of the Education Department Debra Clarke about a new opening to work with undergraduate students at Waynesburg University. 

“I was looking for a new door to open; I didn’t know what that door was,” said Weaver. “When I met with Professor Clarke about possible opportunities at the undergraduate program [at Waynesburg], it was an Ah-ha moment in my life that led me to know that I was supposed to walk through that door. And there was no doubt in my mind that it would be a good experience to work with undergraduate students.” 

After five years of working with the undergraduate program, Weaver met with Clarke once again, but this time their meeting was about the Chair of Education Department position. 

According to Weaver, she is serving as interim chair this semester and has been told that she will continue as chair in the department for years to come.  

As chair, Weaver has many goals for the department and wants to build on the success Clarke left behind.

According to Weaver, Clarke was much more than a boss, she was a personal friend. 

“Professor Clarke was a wonderful mentor to me, she taught me so much about higher education and the education program at Waynesburg,” said Weaver. “She is a wonderful, professional individual and is a wonderful personal friend at this point in my life.”

Clarke spent 29 years as the Chair of the Education Department and was beloved by her colleagues and students.

Weaver took what she learned from Clarke and spoke on her goals for the Education Department. 

“We want to be sure we are always looking at the latest research in education, to make sure we are teaching accurately. And we want to work with many neighboring school districts, so we can have undergraduate students observe and teach in classrooms with highly effective teachers in the field,” said Weaver. “The saying, ‘it takes a village to educate a child,’ is the same at the under graduate level. We can’t do it just the university only – we need the partnerships with many school districts and many teachers so our students are working regularly in the classrooms.” 

Assosiate Professor of Education Frank Pazzynski touched on Weaver’s strengths as a leader.

“She has administrative skills, people skills and is probably the only one of the professors [in the Education Department] to have that skill set,” said Pazzynski.

Pazzynski commented briefly on what needed to be maintained under the command of Weaver.

“The structure of our curriculum is very solid. We must maintain constant contact with basic education and maintain relationships with nearby school districts,” said Pazzynski. 

According to Pazzynski, the department will improve where needed, but not much needs to be changed under Weaver’s control as chair.