NIU students and faculty heard a voice for change in education when Deborah Meier, author and activist, spoke to them on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. Meier is heralded as the Founder of the Modern Day Small Schools Movement. In 1974, she founded New York City’s innovative Central Park East School where, following in the progressive tradition of John Dewey, she set about to provide a better education for "inner-city" children in East Harlem. Her prescription for reform included smaller schools, more flexible curriculums, and higher expectations for students and teachers alike. Read More