"EVERYBODY'S HEARD OF DAVID STROUPE!"

 “EVERYBODY’S HEARD OF DAVID STROUPE!”

This Tuesday will be our son David’s 43rd birthday – yes, can that be possible?  He was born (4 days late) in a snowstorm in Virginia, and he has said that he has been trying to get warm ever since then.  His current clime of teaching at Michigan State is not exactly the place to get warm.  We give thanks for his being in our lives and in the lives of many others.  

He got his doctorate in science education at the University of Washington in 2013 and then got his tenured position at Michigan State.  He was always interested in education, but his time of teaching in public schools in Houston in poorer neighborhoods cemented his desire to do deeper work in education.  While teaching science in these schools, he was dismayed and infuriated that there was no lab equipment in these middle schools for the students to use in order to learn science .  His mantra is that all children in this country deserve a decent public education, and he set himself out to reform public education in America.  

He has done much work in this regard, editing and writing several books, with his second one with Harvard University Press due out in May.  We give thanks for his leadership and fire on improving public education in the United States.  We operate only on the peripheries of this world, so I am grateful for a story from Dr. Greta Reed about David’s prowess and reputation.

Greta has her doctorate in philosophy and taught in the University of Tulsa before hearing a new call from God to consider pastoral ministry.  She came to Columbia Seminary to get her ministerial education, and while she was at CTS, she worshipped at Oakhurst and got involved in the life of the church.  She got to know David there when he was in his teen years.  She later got ordained as a pastor on the staff of Second Presbyterian in Ft. Lauderdale, and Caroline and I preached on the “bent-over woman” on Luke 13 for her ordination.  She has now retired and lives in Tallahassee.

A few years ago we got a call from Greta, saying that she had heard a good story about David, which she wanted to share with us.  The retirement home where she lives often has guest speakers and others who present programs.  At one of these programs, a graduate student in education at Florida State University came to make a presentation on the developments in education.  Greta indicated that the student made a fine presentation, and afterwards, Greta went up to her to thank her for her work and to ask her a question.

Greta told the student that she had enjoyed her program, and then asked her:  “ I realize that this is a big world, but sometimes it is a lot smaller than we think.  I’m wondering if you know one of the guys in education, whom I watched growing up in one the churches that I attended.  Would you happen to know David Stroupe?  Do you know who he is?”  The grad student answered right away: “Everybody knows who David Stroupe is!  I’ve read so many of his great articles and books.  Do you know him?  He’s up in the high stratosphere of education!”  Greta indicated that she had known him as a youth in the church. The student replied: “He is one of the leaders in changing teacher education and helping us all to strengthen public education.”

We so appreciate Greta calling us to share that story – yay for David and for all those who work to deepen and strengthen public education.  David has taught us so much over these 43 years, and we give thanks for his gifts to us.  As a boy, he was not a great sleeper, and in his infant years, we would lose sleep ourselves trying to get his mind and body to slow down in order for him to relax enough to get to sleep.  On those occasions when one of us would be rocking him to sleep, we often thought: “Well, at least if he goes to graduate school, this ability to live on little sleep will bring benefits to him – but, right now, David, go to sleep!”

We are grateful for David and all his gifts, especially in education, which is so vital to us all.  Michigan State is paying out all kinds of money for its errors - $500 million for its failure to stop Larry Nasser and that horrible abuse, almost $100 million for its football coach.  Because of that, MSU has crunched faculty in all departments.  David and Erin will be moving to Salt Lake City this summer to begin teaching there and developing new approaches in education at the University of Utah.  We give so many thanks for him and his leadership, and of course for his bringing Erin and daughters Emma and Zoe to us.