About Author
Elizabeth Dore, Ed.D. recently retired from Radford University as a full professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership and Coordinator of the Middle Level Teacher Education Program where she served for almost 24 years after teaching middle school in Maine and at the college level in Colorado while earning a Doctor of Education degree. Dr. Dore has written and presented extensively on her research interests including transracially adopted young adolescents, multicultural education, reading and young adolescents, middle school instructional strategies, sexual harassment in middle schools, middle school curriculum development and co-teaching with content area special education pre-service teachers. Her service to the education community is ample evidence of her own work as a CHANGEMAKER for a better world. It is a great honor to include her voice as a Guest Author to our Blue Roads Changemaker series.
Dr. Joe Scartelli was interviewed using the Blue Roads Changemaker Framework: Homegrown Solutions for a Patchwork World. I first met Joe when we were both on Faculty Senate at Radford University. It was my first time on the Senate and Joe was a “veteran.” I got to know him even better as baseball season rolled around and we found ourselves definitely on opposite sides of the coin! I made him a pillow with “Yankees” on one side and “Red Sox” on the other so he would/could switch it depending on which team was ahead!!!!
Homegrown Joe
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe and his family lived in the same house until he went away to Mansfield University for his undergraduate degree. His entire family stayed in Pennsylvania, just outside of Scranton, and is all still fairly close.
After Mansfield, Joe did his student teaching in Music Education. In 1974, he completed a psychology internship at Hollidaysburg (PA) State Hospital in preparation for potential graduate study in music therapy. He and his fiancé, Fran, were married in that same year and moved to Williamsport, PA, where Fran completed her internship in medical technology. After a year in Williamsport, the couple moved to Miami for Joe to begin graduate work in music therapy with not much more than a “hope and a prayer.” He completed his master’s degree and was preparing to apply to medical school when he was offered a full scholarship and graduate fellowship to pursue a doctoral degree in music education/music therapy.
Joe credits his wife, Fran, as his main inspiration, helper and encourager through every level and move of their lives. (He claimed she would and did get on the highest, fastest rollercoaster right along with him!!!!)
In addition to Fran, Joe reports great inspiration and support in his life from his parents, his grandparents and one very special teacher in the form of his high school band director. Joe's band director was an “incredible musician” who inspired him, and a lot of others, to be the best musicians they possibly could be. As Joe's musical skills and confidence improved, he actually performed professionally in his teacher’s band outside of school. Joe performed with many other groups as well, including the regional professional orchestra – all before graduating from high school.
Joe says on a good day, he was a “C” student in high school, but he excelled as a student of music and as a performing musician. While the same could be said of his early work as an undergraduate student, he reached a much higher level of academic achievement once he entered his graduate program at Miami. Joe now recognizes how “grades are important” and wishes he could take a few of those undergraduate courses over again!
His own experience, however, gave him the perspective to appreciate “C” students who know how to work hard for what they get. To him, a student or employee with a strong work ethic and positive attitude is often more valuable than someone whose grades come easily.
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While modest about his own, Joe is proud of his family's achievements.
His daughter teaches French and Spanish at a local high school. She worked hard to get her degrees, a BA in Political Science, a BA in French, as well as a BA in Spanish. About three years ago she earned a Master’s Degree at Virginia Tech after doing several studies abroad.
His son earned a degree in Media Studies at Radford University, Upon graduation, he worked part-time for WDBJ7 in Roanoke. After a short time, he moved to a full-time position as a Director and is currently Senior Director at the station. Joe stated much of his son’s success early on was due to the high quality of the Media Studies program at Radford University.
Joe’s wife, Fran, had a degree in medical technology, but always wanted to be a nurse. When they moved to Radford, Fran soon enrolled in the BSN program at RU. After graduating in 1984, she went on to successful careers as a nurse, nurse educator, clinical nurse coordinator, tutor, and advisor.
Solution Focused Joe
All through his graduate work, Joe worked as a music therapist as well as teaching middle and high school music, mostly for students who were classified as “socially maladjusted.” Although this population could be a challenge, Joe believes most were only trying to survive their very difficult environments. While there were many heartbreaking stories from the 12, 13, and 14 year-old kids he served, Joe worked with some very strong teachers and reports learning much from this particular “gig.” This experience has continued to influence his approach to musical therapy, teaching and decision-making. The conditions and environment with which most of the students contended presented formidable obstacles to the work they did, but Joe remained impressed and inspired by the creativity and devotion of his colleagues on a daily basis.
Joe has enjoyed similar good fortune with colleagues throughout his career as a music therapist, college professor, and administrator. In 1981 Joe and Fran came to Radford University where he created the undergraduate and graduate music therapy programs. Both of these programs achieved accreditation and continue to thrive at the university today and put Joe's abilities as a creative problem solver to good use.
Joe's Patchwork
Although Joe has found himself in leadership roles where trouble-shooting and problem-solving were day-to-day requirements, he believes the junior high school experience in Miami working with the inner-city students was pivotal in developing those skills. He says the school often resembled a sort of “combat zone” with pressures and issues going well beyond education. This experience with a diverse group of students seems to be a turning point in Joe's journey as a Changemaker.
Changemaker Joe
Don't expect the wall to change. Find another way to achieve the objective or goal.
This great lesson in creative problem-solving has served him well over the years in many professional roles. For instance, one of the reading faculty always found a way to relate to the kids. With the boys, he used the sports page to teach reading skills. As the new band director at the school, Joe was inspired to likewise “try another way” to reach these students. He ordered very different ‘band instruments’ – electric guitars, drum sets, electric pianos, electric basses!
Joe taught kids how to play in class by rote. They knew all the words to the current hits and didn’t have to learn to read music. The approach was so successful the students gave their first performance in six weeks. The principal noted it was the first time he had seen most of the parents at the school. Truancy had been quite a problem, but Joe noticed attendance of the music students was improving quite a bit and, ultimately, he used the data as the basis for his Master’s thesis.
Some kids were starting to attend class and were even staying after school to be involved in the music. While it didn’t always work out perfectly and behavior issues were always present, he found a way to reach students by trying something beyond the norm.
This philosophy followed him into his long career at Radford University. When asked “What makes you keep coming back?”, Joe enthusiastically responds,
It remains a privilege to have worked with such outstanding students and remarkable faculty, staff and administrators throughout my career as a faculty member, dean, and provost.
Joe has always particularly appreciated the first generation students who largely broke the ice for their families by attending the University and exhibiting a strong work ethic and especially an appreciation for the opportunity to prepare for a productive career and life. He has always been proud RU continues to attract such wonderful students from all walks of life. Finally, although he is recognized for a successful career, he takes no singular credit for any success attributed to him as it has always been a “team effort” in which it has been an honor to be a part.
Joe's work as an educator and university administrator influencing literally thousands of students clearly centers on Global Goal #4 – Quality Education. We all know that Goal #4 is key to realizing each of the other 16 goals as well. What about you? Can you find other specific examples of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals in Joe's work and in yours? Get in touch below and let us know!
Elizabeth Dore, Ed.D. recently retired from Radford University as a full professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership and Coordinator of the Middle Level Teacher Education Program where she served for almost 24 years after teaching middle school in Maine and at the college level in Colorado while earning a Doctor of Education degree. Dr. Dore has written and presented extensively on her research interests including transracially adopted young adolescents, multicultural education, reading and young adolescents, middle school instructional strategies, sexual harassment in middle schools, middle school curriculum development and co-teaching with content area special education pre-service teachers. Her service to the education community is ample evidence of her own work as a CHANGEMAKER for a better world. It is a great honor to include her voice as a Guest Author to our Blue Roads Changemaker series.
