Spring 2011 - University of Illinois Springfield

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
With gratitude to Harry Berman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Can Education & Poverty co-exist? . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Meet Richard Hayes: LLCC Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
MSS Dean’s List recipients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Life-Pack stash from Milton visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
TEP 203: Advice to Incoming Freshman . . . . . . . . 5
Project MSS in the community. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New program inductees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dates and Deadlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BST dates remaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A Twin’s Goal of Teaching
MSS student Haydee Franklin and twin, Hannah: both share in her success
Above: Haydee (on left) and sister Hannah share a smile over
pancakes at the local IHOP.
Eighteen years ago, Haydee and Hannah
Franklin burst onto the Springfield
scene: Haydee came first, with Hannah hot
on her heels only a minute later. Growing
up, the brown-eyed siblings likened themselves
to celeb-twins Mary-Kate and Ashley.
“We felt they were like us because we
would always get into some type of trouble,
or be up to something all the time,” the
two girls said.
“Once we brought a stray cat home in a
book-bag and hid it under some cabinets
outside for one-and-a-half weeks while our
kitchen was being remodeled,” Haydee
recalled, “then Mom found it and took it to
an animal shelter.”
Yet stray kittens would not be
the only things needing shelter in
their lives, at two critical points
they would have to shelter one
another. The first would be when
younger sister, Hannah, decided
to drop out of high school to care
for her newborn girl. She was
only a sophomore then, but decided
to put the needs of her
daughter ahead of her own.
“As I look back on life now, I
think it was a hasty decision,”
Hannah said.
Nevertheless, she encouraged
her sister to finish high school.
“Hannah and I were always
put in the same category, like
twins are,” Haydee recalled in a
recent essay,“ but we were different.
She wanted me to graduate
and move forward in life
because she didn‟t have the
chance to.”
And that‟s what Haydee set out to do. If
she completed high school, she would be
the first child in her immediate family to
do so, and only the fourth such graduate in
her extended family.
Getting there, however, would be no
easy task. A major obstacle Haydee faced
was sticking to the books rather than parties
and friends.
“I had decided to party all the time and
go out drinking until 3.am.,” she said, “my
grades dropped from straight A‟s to all F‟s
and I didn‟t care.”
Then, a second critical event reeled
Haydee‟s life and helped her get back on
track.
Spring 2011 Vol 12 Issue 2
“We were driving down a main street
and suddenly, we were swerving and my
life flashed before my eyes,” she recalled,
“three cars were coming straight at us. All
I could do was scream.”
That near-death experience ended with
Haydee and friends in a ditch, all alive.
Hannah, having settled into her role as
“Mom,” was not in the car, and was extremely
relieved when she found out that
her sister was alright.
“ . . .MSS is helping me
become more
focused as well as keep-
ing me on track . . . It
helps me to have a
reason to do well.”
But it made Haydee want to change, to
graduate—just as her sister had advised.
So she began to really hit the books, “ I
then realized I needed to be selfmotivated,”
she said. And there were two
things she was certain of: that she wanted
to graduate and she wanted to teach. And
when she graduated from Southeast High
School in 2010, Haydee was also the recipient
of the IEA/SEA scholarship.
“The IEA/SEA was a scholarship for
students who wanted to become teachers,”
said Haydee, now a Psychology major and
Project MSS participant at UIS, and is
pursuing a teaching certificate in Elementary
Education, “I was chosen out of a pool
of twenty applicants.”
(Continued on page 3, see “Haydee”)

From the Director
A successful year yields much gratitude
The 2011 school year is coming to a
close. To the students, it means being another
year closer to meeting graduation/
certification goals—completing all necessary
requirements; doing well in classes;
receiving a high grade point average or
being admitted into the next phase toward
certification. To me, it means another year
of thank-you‟s to those that have made such
outstanding contributions so that the students
can profess the accomplishments just
“As you can see,
the list of
contributors is long
- it really does take
a village, but it has
been worth it all.”
mentioned. Partnering does work—it so
expands the accomplishments of any one
individual or entity to the efforts and accomplishments
of a team.
This year has been no exception to this
team effort. There are so many elements to
Project MSS that I will not be able to recognize
each but I am very grateful for everyone‟s
contributions at each level: the University
of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land
Community College, Richland Community
College and Springfield School District
186. I would be remiss if I did not begin by
acknowledging one of the primary supporters
of Project MSS — Interim Chancellor
Harry Berman. In 1990, Interim Chancellor
Berman, then a professor of Human Services
and Aging, joined a group of community
leaders and educators known as the
Community Education Resource Network
(CERN). From that network of innovators,
Project Midstate Student Support for
Teaching (then known as Project Minority
Student Support for Teaching) was formed.
Dr. Berman has been an ardent supporter of
the initiative since that time. Please read
more below about Dr. Berman in our tribute
to him.
Other administrators that lend support to
the Program at the university include Dean
Larry Stonecipher and the staff and faculty
in the College of Education and Human
Services; Dr. Vicki Megginson and the staff
in the Office of Development; Dr. Gerard
Josephs and the staff in the Office of Financial
Assistance; Dr. Clarice Ford and the
Diversity Center staff; Mr. Brian Patton and
the staff in Food Services; the amazing staff
in Web/Creative Services; Ms. Michelle
Green, Director of Marketing, along with
Ms. Carolyn Neitzke from Conference Services.
I also want to acknowledge the contributions
of our partner institutions. Contributors
of the Lincoln Land Community College
faculty and staff include: Dr. Charlotte
TRIBUTE TO HARRY BERMAN
On June 30, UIS will lose a tremendous
asset when Dr. Harry Berman, Interim Chancellor,
retires — but Project MSS will lose a
personal hero. As Director, I want to acknowledge
his contributions and support for
the Program over the past twenty years.
Dr. Berman was “on board” from the very
beginning when Project MSS was only a proposal
that was supported by the Board of
Higher Education. He has watched the Program
advance as we have watched Dr. Ber-
MSSenger p. 2
Warren,
President,
Ms. Tyra
Taylor, Mr.
Tim
Humph-ries
and Mr.
Richard
Hayes. At Richland
Community College, I am indebted to Mr.
Marcus Brown and Ms. Eyvonne Hawkins.
Last but not least, the contributions of
Springfield School District 186 have been
overwhelming. Superintendent Milton and
his staff‟s support through physical and
fiscal resources have enabled me to offer
the necessary programs and instructional
materials needed for pre-service teacher
development. A special thank-you to Dr.
Ikejiaku, Ms. Chard, Ms. Shambley and
Ms. Huffman for being willing to assist in
new program development and implementation.
As you can see the list of contributors is
long -it really does take a village, but it has
been worth it all. Unfortunately, when one
tries to designate contributors, inevitably,
someone is eliminated so I want to take this
opportunity to thank the UIS and Springfield
communities in general for all the
support and assistance given to me to keep
Project MSS a viable and innovative partnership
program.
man advance from a colleague in Human
Services to his present role as Interim Chancellor.
In each of these roles, Dr. Berman
never waivered in his support of the Project.
We thank him for his “hands-on” role with
the participants as keynote speaker as well as
well-wisher during the various events that we
hosted. We also thank him for his administrative
support and guidance. Again, Dr. Berman,
you will be missed.

MSSenger p. 3
poverty and education
Can the two co-exist and achieve success in schools?
1. What is the Poverty Line, anyway?
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, it's a family of four
(two adults, two children) that
earns less than $21,834.
2. Still, $35,000 is basic-needs
budget for a U.S. family of four
(two adults, two children), as calculated
in An Atlas of Poverty in
America.
3. In 2008, nearly 43.6 million people
Americans lived in poverty
(about 13.2% of the population);
12.9 million were under the age of
18.
4. In the US, poverty is still tied to
race: 24.7% of the African American
population live below the
poverty line while 8.6% of Caucasians
do.
5. School budgets are tied to property
taxes. This is why schools in
poor neighborhoods get about half
as much money per student than
schools in affluent neighborhoods.
6. Three-quarters of the nation's
schools (almost 60,000) report
“Haydee” - continued from page 1
With a scholarship under her belt and
acceptance into Project MSS‟ teaching program,
Haydee was well on her way toward
her dream. Yet, being a first-generation college
student meant a new level of determination
and support would be necessary for her
continued success. And while Project MSS is
only one avenue of support among the many
offered at UIS, it has been an important ally
during Haydee‟s first year of college.
“I think the most rewarding area of MSS
for me,” Haydee said, “is the fact of a family
environment and all the encouragement. Dr.
Meeks is a respectful lady and is always
willing to help.”
This “help” comes in all shapes and sizes,
from community service to cultural engage-
needing repairs, renovations or
modernization in order to reach
good condition.
7. Not surprisingly, most schools in
bad condition are in cities where
at least 70% of students are below
the poverty line.
8. Urban students are less likely to
graduate than their suburban
counterparts. High school graduation
rates are 15% lower in the
nation‟s urban schools when compared
with those located in the
suburbs.
9. Graduation rates are also lower
among certain groups, particularly
ethnic minorities and males. In
2008, the graduation rate among
African-Americans was 61.5%
compared to 81% for whites.
10. In 2008, 17 of the nation's 50
largest cities had high school
graduation rates lower than 50%,
with the lowest rates reported in
Detroit (24.9%), Indianapolis
(30.5%) and Cleveland (34.1%).
Additionally, children of poor families
are up to six times more likely to drop
ment activities, as well as mid-term academic
check-ups, book reports and quizzes on relevant
topics of the realities of becoming a
potential educator in the Springfield- and
Decatur-area public school systems.
“I think MSS is helping me to become
more focused and keeping me on track because
of all of the requirements for the
group,” Haydee added, “It helps me to have a
reason to do well.”
Recently, some of Haydee‟s friends tried
to convince her to transfer to another major
Illinois university to earn her degree. Haydee
told Dr. Meeks that she turned her friends
down. The reason? “I could not be a part of
MSS there.”
Her sister, Hannah, has given her a reason
to do well also. Haydee remembers one of
the most important things Hannah said to her
out than wealthy children.
Source: http://www.dosomething.org/
tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-
America
Poverty and education was at the core
of the TEP 202 and 203 lectures this
semester. The possibility that many of
our students-turned-educators will be
teachers among our communities‟ impoverished
is an undeniable reality. The
film and text, Waiting for Superman,
addresses this and other issues. What
answer has your experience drawn: can
poverty and academic success co-exist
in American educational systems?
over the last year was to “stay in college to
make something of your life.”
“That was important to me,” she said,
“because we always look to each other for
encouragement.”
As the semester draws to a close, Haydee
is looking forward to her sophomore year at
UIS. Her dream of being a kindergarten
teacher is well within reach. And Hannah is
still cheering her on.
“She is always good with children, and
always happy,” Hannah said when asked if
she thought Haydee would make a good
teacher, “and she knows how to teach them
when they want to play.”
And that is mark of a true educator.

Meet Richard Hayes: Lincoln Land
Community College Liaison
Don‟t let that easy smile fool you.
Richard Hayes, academic advisor, and
liaison for Project MSS, at Lincoln Land
Community College is anything but easy
when it comes to academ-
ics and success in life.
“I have a passion for
encouraging my children
in their personal endeavors,
as well as reading and
acquiring new knowledge;
then to encourage
those around them toward
achieving their goals.”
This paternal oversight kicks in, accordingly,
when instructing or assisting his
students at LLCC. Hayes, who is also an
adjunct instructor for Psychology, is tough
when it comes to putting forth one‟s very
Project MSS welcomes
2011-2012 Program
Inductees
This year, Project MSS received far more
applications than expected. While this is
encouraging and speaks to the Program‟s
success, it also speaks to the economic times.
best effort.
“My parents instilled in me the ideology
that „anything worth doing is worth doing
well.‟ I‟ve amended that philosophy and
added, „anything
“Anything
worth doing is
worth doing well
. . . and worth
completing!”
There are many students who
“just want to graduate” and are not
at all concerned with academic
accomplishment, that is,
finishing with excellence.
Last fall,
however,
junior
Psychology
major
Krystal
Cheung, and
senior Liberal
Stud- ies major,
Simon Wilson, did finish with
excellence. Both Project MSS students
earned spots on the University‟s
Dean‟s List.
Cheung, who‟s also pursuing minors in Elementary Education
and Biology, worked four jobs last semester, had an extra class in
her maximum class load and planned a wedding!
“I tend to work best when I have a lot going on,” she said, “but
some students work better when they have fewer classes and ac-
worth doing is
worth doing well
and worth completing.”
Hayes likens his
amended philosophical
statement to
perfection and
persistence, characteristics
he grew up seeing in parents.
“Perfection and persistence make the
foundation for success, whether it‟s academic,
financial or personal.”
Hayes knows what it‟s like to have to
Really hard decisions had to be made regarding
acceptance since openings were limited.
Each year, new members are inducted during
the June Graduation Program. This program
combines congratulations for achieving two
goals—graduation and also entry into Project
MSS. This is a required activity for all new
participants. Information is shared about
Program rights and responsibilities. This
Cheung and Wilson make Dean’s List
MSSenger p. 4
persevere in
order to reach
one‟s goals.
“The best
advice I can
offer current
and future MSS students is one . . . of cruel
reality: there will be hardships—find help
and overcome them; there will be setbacks—be
persistent and fight through
them; there will also be happiness—share
and enjoy it. The work may be hard to do,
but if you believe it is worth doing, do it
well, and complete it.”
Richard and his wife, have been married
for 17 years. They have two sons.
year, we will induct six new members. The
ceremony will be held at the UIS on June 12
at 2:30 pm in the Public Affairs Restaurant.
We welcome the new participants—we applaud
their success and encourage them to
take this opportunity seriously. It is a chance
of a lifetime.
tivities so they can focus solely on them. It‟s just a matter of finding
the right balance . . . for success.”
Wilson , who is pursuing a minor in Elementary Education,
had a similarly loaded semester as a father, tutor with the AVID
program, and employment with Capitol Care Center in Springfield.
“I start my assignments early and allow myself enough time to
proofread and revise as much as possible before turning them in
to my instructors,” Wilson said.
Cheung and Wilson were two of 577 students who achieved
the honor last semester, which requires a course load of at least
eight graded credit hours with a grade-point average of at least
3.75 for the semester (in case you‟re wondering, we‟re talking a
GPA that is only a fraction shy of an A).
“Being organized and consistent were the two main things that
helped me do well,” Wilson said of his success, “Speaking with
my instructors and professors individually, and asking questions
so I knew exactly what was expected of me helped as well.”
Cheung agrees, adding, “Students need to find out how much
they can take on in one semester and still be successful.”
There‟s no doubt Cheung and Wilson have done that. Project
MSS offers congratulations and well-wishes to them both.

MSSenger p. 5
What I stashed in my life-pack from Dr. Milton’s visit”
Dr. Walter Milton, Jr., superintendent for Springfield District 186 addressed the students of Project MSS’s TEP 202 and 203 classes. An
honest, engaging and knowledgeable speaker, Dr. Milton spoke with the students on a range of topics from his college football career, his
father’s influence, his current book, to the District’s re-structuring goals. Here’s what some of the 203 MSS students had to say:
“One thing that inspired me from Dr. Milton‟s
presentation was how he encouraged
us to think about being future superintendents.
He explained how small the pool was
for those positions. This was very insightful
TEP 203 students’
Advice dvice to
Incoming ncoming
Freshman reshman
because it‟s rare that someone comes to
offer you a career, but also asks you to think
about striving as high as their occupation.”
- Simon Wilson
“The thing I remembered most from Dr.
Milton‟s presentation was his enthusiasm
about the teacher that made a difference in
his life. It made me realize how much of
difference one teacher, - someone like me—
can make in a student‟s life.”
- Krystal Cheung
“Dr. Milton‟s presentation was beneficial to
me. I found the most important aspects of
his presentation was his overall journey
through the education system, and his desire
to become an educator was influenced by his
ninth grade social studies and science teachers.
This reminded me that, as teachers, we
are constantly being watched, and I would
like to positively influence someone‟s life as
his teachers did.
Don’t procrastinate!
Ask questions when you don’t
understand.
Don’t publish anything on Facebook
that you wouldn’t want the
world to see.
Plan on getting enough sleep.
Also, I never really thought about how
far I‟d wanted to go within the education
system until Dr. Milton‟s presentation.
There are so many areas of education to be
involved in. And Dr. Milton let us know that
continuous education is very important.”
- Ashley Borders
“The most inspirational thing I remember
from Dr. Milton‟s presentation was his desire
to have us in classrooms one day. He
urged us to continue down the path we were
on, and let us know how needed we were
classrooms. He told us that there are children
in the community waiting to be in our
classes, and that most schools are always in
desperate need of great, effective teachers. It
gave me more motivation to continue to
excel in school and keep my eyes on the
prize: graduation and becoming a certified
teacher in Springfield School District 186.”
- Blake Johnson
Recently this semester, MSS applicants from Lanphier high school, along with Lanphier liaison,
Deb Huffman, sat in on a class session with Dr. Meeks and TEP 203 students. During
introductions, Dr. Meeks allowed the 203 students to give “words of wisdom” to the Lanphier
seniors on how to succeed at UIS. Here are the top 7 rules of thumb given:
Get to know your advisors early
in the semester.
Study the requirements for your
major and ask yourself honest
questions.
(After studying the requirements)
Think seriously about
your major and speak with your
advisor about it. Have questions
ready.

Project MSS students paint the community
This semester proved to be, not only busy,
but an engaging one as well. Students at
Project MSS as both a requirement for their
grade, and their service to the community
were a part of several memorable projects.
Read-Across-America
What child does not fall in love with the
zany characters, words and stories of Dr.
Suess? Every year, Read Across America,
an annual reading motivation and awareness
program sponsored by the National Education
Association, calls for every child in
every community to celebrate reading on
March 2, the birthday of beloved children's
author Dr. Seuss.
This year‟s Project MSS participants
included Devynn Allen, LaTasha Doss,
Blake Johnson and Valencia Swope.
Reading for the Blind
Before Project MSS students read Cat in
the Hat, and Hop on Pop, many of them read
newspaper articles for the Springfield community‟s
visually-impaired citizens. Sponsored
by WUIS and Program Director, Sinta
Seiber-Lane, Project MSS students were
able to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity
to serve the community.
This year‟s participants included: Darion
Anderson, Anastassia Anderson, Kaylee
Childress, Tanner Coventry, Haydee
Franklin, Alexis Lawson, Ashley Long,
Myteka Malone, Krista McClung,
Ashlea Squires, and Valencia Swope.
Global Awareness
Dinner: Peru
The Global Awareness
Dinner gave Project
MSS students both a
talk and taste of life in this
exotic South American
country.
Dorsey Delivers Commencement Address
at Richland Community College
Project MSS bids
farewell to Dr. Faye
Fullerton
Dr. Fullerton recently retired from
Lincoln Land Community College as Vice
President of Student Services. Dr. Fullerton
worked with Dr. Meeks and founding
members of the former Community Education
Resource Network to establish the
partnership that sponsored two community
-based initiatives, Project Midstate Student
Support for Teaching (MSS), formerly
Minority Student Support for Teaching and
Project Students, Teachers and Parents
(STP)—a mathematics enrichment program
for students in grades 3-8 in Springfield
School District 186. Project STP
provided services for area students for over
ten years.
As a former classroom teacher, Dr.
Above: Blake Johnson reads to Mrs. McQuillan’s
kindergarteners at Wanless School.
MSSenger p. 6
Nichole Dorsey, a 2008 graduate of Eisenhower High
School and a 2007 inductee in Project MSS, was the 2011
Student Graduation Speaker. Nicole was selected by a committee
comprised of students, faculty and staff. “While at
Richland, Nichole participated in many activities and organizations,
including the Mentor Ambassador team, Secretary
and Vice-President of the Black Student Association, and cofounder
and Vice President of Girlosophy.”
Nichole will join fellow graduate Myra Edwards-Smith, a
2009 inductee, at UIS in the fall. Nichole plans to major in
Elementary Education and Criminal Justice. Nichole is interested
in working with students who have a history of delinquency.
Nichole believes that the skills that she acquires at
UIS will greatly enhance her abilities to address the needs of
all children.
Fullerton readily
understood the demands
and commitment
needed for
teaching. Dr. Fullerton‟s
participation
on the partnership
Steering Committee
and her support and
encouragement will
be sorely missed.

MSSenger p. 7
Dates and Deadlines 2011
May
1-31 Open registration for
summer, fall semesters
9-14 Finals Week
13 April 16 Certification Test
Score Report in
Late registration deadline
for June 4 Basic Skills Test
14 Spring semester ends
14 Commencement Ceremony
Prairie Capitol Convention
Center 2:00 pm
18 Final grades for Spring 2011
27 Registration deadline for
July 9 Basic Skills Test
30 Memorial Day,
Campus closed
June
1-9 Open registration for
summer semester
1-30 Open registration for
fall semester
4 Basic Skills Test date
6 Summer semester begins
12 INDUCTION CEREMONY
2:30 pm, PAC Restaurant
July
1-31 Open registration for
fall semester
4 Independence Day
Campus closed
30 Summer semester ends
August
1-31 Open registration for fall
semester
Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS):
Basic Skill Test & Registration Dates
Basic Skills
Test Date
Final dates for this term’s
BASIC SKILLS TEST
Regular
Registration
Deadline
Late Registration
Deadline
(add‟l fee applies)
Score Report
Date
June 4, 2011 April 22, 2011 May 13, 2011 July 1, 2011
July 9, 2011 May 27, 2011 June 17, 2011 Aug. 5, 2011
Register for the Basic Skills Test at http://www.icts.nesinc.com/index.asp
The “institution code” for UIS is 043
- Phillip D. S. Chesterfield
1694—1773

PROJECT MIDSTATE STUDENT
SUPPORT FOR TEACHING
University of Illinois Springfield
One University Plaza
MS BRK 330
Springfield, IL 62704-5407
Dr. Loretta Meeks,
Program Director, Newsletter Editor
BRK 328 (217) 206-7367
Ms. Gwenda Sutton,
Graduate Assistant, Newsletter compiler, layout
BRK 327 (217) 206-7367
MSSenger p. 8