The Honorable Chet Edwards, former U.S. Representative and Baylor’s W.R. Poage Distinguished Chair of Public Service, will present “Education and Education Policy” on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 5 to 5:45 p.m. in room 101 (Packard Auditorium) of Marrs McLean Science Building. The event is sponsored by the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum & Instruction.
“This is an excellent opportunity for learning and interaction with an expert during a time of many changes and questions around education and education policy in our country,” said Dr. Trena Wilkerson, Baylor mathematics education professor and president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. “This should be an informative event for students, faculty and community members. We are fortunate to have former Congressman Edwards share his insights.”
The department will provide refreshments, and Dr. Tony Talbert, professor and associate dean of the School of Education, will introduce Edwards.
Edwards served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years, including 12 years of seniority on the powerful Appropriations Committee. Prior to that, he served in the Texas Senate from 1983 to 1989.
In the U.S. House, Edwards was known as a national champion for veterans, troops and their families. In 2007 he authored a historic $17.7 billion increase in funding of veterans’ health care and benefits, and he played a key role in enacting the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights, covering the cost of college education for our troops. In 2008, both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars recognized Edwards’ leadership with their national awards given to only one member of Congress.
Edwards was also known for his commitment to protecting jobs and the local economy by making vital federal investments in key education, health, transportation, and water programs in his district. Securing important federal investments for Fort Hood, the Central Texas Veterans’ Health Care System, and university research programs at Baylor and Texas A&M Universities was also a primary focus of Edwards’ work in Washington.
After leaving Congress in 2011, established Edwards, Davis Stover & Associates, LLC, with his former chief of staff, Lindsey Davis Stover, and continues to be involved with veterans’ issues in the Washington, D.C., area through his work on the boards of the Military Child Education Coalition and the Arlington National Cemetery Advisory Commission.
Through his appointment as the W. R. Poage Distinguished Chair of Public Service at Baylor University, he returns to Baylor for two weeks each semester to speak to classes and student and faculty groups, as well as to mentor students one-on-one. His official Congressional papers are housed at Baylor’s W.R. Poage Legislative Library in the Baylor Collections of Political Materials.
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Founded in 1919, Baylor School of Education ranks among the nation’s top 20 education schools located at private universities. The School’s research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation, while graduate programs culminating in both the Ed.D. and Ph.D. prepare outstanding leaders, teachers and clinicians through an intentional blend of theory and practice.
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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.