Don Steiner

“My mission is to prepare novice and experienced teachers to become leaders who advocate for children and youth through scholarship and caring relationships. This mission is accomplished through the context of the broader missions of the teacher education unit and Eastern Mennonite University.”

Having chaired the education department since coming to EMU in 1982, he now serves as director of the Master of Arts in Education program. He is known in education circles throughout the state and beyond and has served two terms on the Unit Accreditation Board of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). He initiated EMU’s M.A. in education, building on a strong undergraduate program. He also started an M.A. program at EMU’s campus in Lancaster, Pa. In addition to his administrative duties, he currently serves as professor of the Jesse T. Byler endowed chair. Dr. Steiner has a special interest in literacy education, foundations of education, American Indian education, Russian education, and educational leadership.

B.A., Goshen College
M.A., Northern Arizona University
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University

Steiner D. & McDowell, J. et al. (2008, Feb. 9). Private colleges take on the NCATE standards. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA. (invited)
Steiner, D. (2008, April 3). The computer hacker: A case study in restorative discipline. Virginia Association of Teacher Education, Sweet Briar College, Amherst, VA.
(Invited)
Steiner, D. & Moyer, E. (2007, February 3). Anabaptist Learning Institute: Profession development with roots. Mennonite Education Leaders Gathering 2007. Pittsburgh, PA (invited)

Presentation March 7, 2008 at Lancaster Mennonite High School “Vision and hope: The profession of teaching today and tomorrow” to senior level classes.
Board of Directors, Eastern Mennonite School, chair of Education and Student Life & serve on the Personnel Committee and the Elementary School Committee. 2008-2010 term reappointed.
Chair, Vision Support Team, Virginia Mennonite Board of Miissions, for the Albanian Christian School initiative. Appointed, 2008
Unit Accreditation Board or the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Consultant to Chowan University’ teacher education unit, McMurfeesboro, NC. March 25-28, 2007
Consultant to Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions to Albania and Montenegro, May-June, 2007.

Recipient of special certificate for completion of 6-year term on the Unit Accreditation Board of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Dallas, TX, April 16, 2008.
Recipient of 25 years of service to Eastern Mennonite University, May, 2007

Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Association of Independent Liberal Arts colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE)
Phi Delta Kappa
American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)

Virginia Association of Teacher Educators & Virginia Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. Amherst, VA. April 2008.
Mennonite Education Agency Education Leaders Gathering. Pittsburgh, PA.
February, 2008.
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. New Orleans,LA February 2008.

EDPC 521 Teacher Work Sample, a one-semester hour transition course for candidates in the Master of Arts in Education program. (2008)
EDAI 543 Shaping a Community of Learners, a new three-semester hour course designed for the Mennonite Schools Council as part of a professional development certificate program to serve K-12 Mennonite educators (2008)
EDAI 533 Building Caring Communities, a new course designed for the Mennonite Schools Council as part of a professional development certificate program to serve K-12 Mennonite educators. (2007)

Committee on Teacher Education (COTE)
University Graduate Council
University Writing Committee