LEAVING A 15 YEAR LEGACY, DEAN PAUL BEARE RETIRES

Paul Beare, dean of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, will retire on June 30 after 15 years of service at Fresno State.

During his time at Fresno State, Dr. Beare has made an everlasting impact on the faculty, staff, and students. Over the past 15 years, he has celebrated close to 18,000 graduates walk across the stage at the Kremen School Convocation ceremonies.

Dr. Beare believes that “Fresno State is a miracle; it is a miraculous university.” The students at Fresno State overcome economic obstacles and the faculty are fully committed to student success. Dr. Beare’s commitment to Fresno State and his dedication to improving teacher education was recognized in 2015: he was named one of the 30 Most Influential Deans of Education in the United States.

“The Kremen School has risen to new heights of success under the leadership of Dean Beare. Fresno State now prepares more K-12 teachers than any other public university in the state. I appreciate his many valuable contributions to our university and community, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.” – Joseph I. Castro, Fresno State President

Dr. Beare grew up in Missouri with education in his blood. His mother, Virginia Beare, was a teacher at Frank P. Tillman Elementary School and she taught her son how to become a teacher that touches lives.

Dr. Beare has worked in education for 43 years, having taught in an elementary school program for students with emotional disorders in Kansas, and in a secondary level resource room in Missouri. In 1979, he moved to Minnesota State University Moorhead where he founded the licensure program in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and at different times was chair of the Department of Education and then Director of Teacher Education. He also served as a Special Education Due Process Hearing Officer for five years.

Currently, Dr. Beare serves as the School Board President at University High School and on the Board of Directors for The Renaissance Group, the Teacher Education Consortium of State Colleges and University, and The Sierra Footh ills Land Conservancy.

Dr. Beare is the longest serving education dean in the CSU system. During his leadership at Fresno State, he and his faculty and staff have implemented several significant projects: instituting cohorts for the credential, doctorate in educational leadership and graduate programs, created nationally recognized teacher residency programs and grants, created the Math Science Teacher Initiative and created the Welty Center for Education Policy and Leadership. Also, high-desired programs have launched during his leadership, such as the MA in Teaching, MA in Education-Multilingual Multicultural Education, MA in Education-Higher Education Administration and Leadership, and the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program.

In 2013, the Kremen School of Education and Human Development received the Best Practice Award for Professional Ethics and Moral Dispositions in Teacher Education from American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and in 2014 received the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Educator Preparation from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Along with the creditable awards, the Kremen School of Education and Human Development has received two completely clean NCATE accreditation visits with zero needs for improvements.

Recently, Dr. Beare was recognized with The Renaissance Group Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Educator Preparation. After retirement, Dr. Beare plans to travel with his wife, Colleen Torgerson, and spend time with family. Although he is retiring from his role as Dean, he will not be leaving the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. Dr. Beare will continue working part-time, teaching and doing research.