The University of Michigan's School of Education is about to get a new name. The Marsal Family School of Education will be named in honor of Kathleen and Bryan Marsal, and their children, Megan Marsal Kirsch and Michael Marsal.
The Marsal family has a deep commitment to the role of education in creating a just and equitable society, and with two generations of University of Michigan alumni in the family, they have become passionate advocates for the profession of teaching.
The family has donated $50 million to support initiatives to prepare and support a diverse population of teachers, build robust partnerships with schools and communities, and conduct research in collaboration with education practitioners.
One of the initiatives that the donation will support is the launch of a new four-year degree program focused on Learning, Equity, and Problem-Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS) that will create novel paths to engage U-M students in learning education principles and knowledge that can be applied to multiple professions, including teaching.
Megan Marsal Kirsch shared the family's conviction that focusing more on teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention can resolve one of the field's greatest problems.
"We hope there won't be a teacher shortage in 10 years because teachers will feel supported and valued, and teaching will be seen as a noble profession," she said.
"We are excited about U-M's innovative approaches to teacher education, including The Michigan Education Teaching School in Detroit and extensive work with teacher educators outside of the university."
The Marsals have been a big part of the school's leadership for more than a decade. Their previous gifts to the school have created new career services for education graduates, provided scholarships for future teachers, facilitated the professional training of hundreds of teachers, and supported the work of partnerships.
The Marsal Family School of Education is committed to advancing the school's efforts to prepare future teachers, support early career teachers, and honor the expertise of experienced teachers. With this latest gift, the school is embarking on a new era of demonstrating how individuals and their communities can be lifted up and transformed through just and equitable approaches to education.
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