Lesley University

Terry Kaldhusdal '97

School of Education

"When we went to meet President Bush I thought I'd look to see what was on his desk, see what kind of couch he had. But when I stood at the door of the Oval Office, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed. I thought, here I am representing the teachers of Wisconsin, and I thought, they should be here with me."

A 1997 graduate of a Lesley cohort in Wisconsin, Terry Kaldhusdal was recognized as Wisconsin Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007. Teachers of the Year convene on four occasions during the year for a total of four weeks, in Terry's case an introductory convention in Dallas, a week in Washington including a meeting with President George W. Bush, a week at a NASA Space Camp in Alabama, and a debriefing week at Princeton in New Jersey.

"Getting my master's through Lesley allowed me to see the world the way it should be," says Terry." My Lesley experience… was project driven and allowed me to work with my students and then gave me time to reflect on their progress. Isn't that what we want all of our students to do, take risks and then reflect? In other words, Lesley allowed me to think."

Terry has been teaching for 15 years." I worked as a journalist for seven years before my wife hoodwinked me to join her as a teacher. I thank her for the move every day," he says." I loved working for a newspaper, but teaching is my calling."

Before teaching in Wisconsin, Terry taught in Southern California where he learned firsthand how students living in impoverished and dysfunctional home circumstances were at a decided in-classroom disadvantage relative to his current middle-class students in Wisconsin.

Terry is emphatic about improving public education and while Teacher of the Year he took aim at the No Child Left Behind act." As teachers, every one of us is overwhelmed, but because we sat on the sidelines and let others dictate the educational policy direction that this country took, our kids are suffering," he said." We need to enrich their lives, not narrow the curriculum and focus on passing a test."

This profile was compiled from previously published material in Lesley Magazine, Fall 2007.