School of Education and Movement Studies

Dean, School of Education & Movement Studies

Dr. John Y. Lee specializes in forging partnerships among diverse stakeholders to develop innovative, high-quality, and effective educator and human services programs. As the founder and director of the Urban Teacher Education Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Lee recruited and prepared talented and dedicated career changers for teaching in some of Maryland's lowest-performing schools. This performance-based program - in which teacher candidates had to demonstrate their skills in improving student learning and achievement to successfully complete the program - achieved considerable success and for improving student achievement in some of Maryland's lowest-performing schools. Lee also established and directed the School To University Program, a year-round program that brought PreK-12 students to university campuses for advanced academic projects and enriched extra-curricular and arts-based programs. For innovative program development and improving the life opportunities and outcomes of the historically under-served, Lee's programs have received numerous awards, including the Christa McAuliffe Award for Exemplary Teacher Education Program by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Richard Wisniewski Award for Contribution to Theory and Practice in Teacher Education from the Society of Professors in Education.