In Memory of Bruce Baron
School of Education lecturer, K-12 teacher, educational administrator, mentor to countless students and colleagues, and a friend – Bruce Baron was an inspiration to youth and adults alike.
In February, longtime School of Education lecturer and Orange County administrator Bruce Baron passed away. Colleagues and former students remembered Baron for his ability to support students, champion human and civil rights, and spread a contagious enthusiasm for both history and teaching.
“Bruce Baron was an integral fixture at both Southern California schools and the School of Education’s teacher preparation program for decades,” said Richard Arum, dean and professor, UCI School of Education. “He proved year after year the importance of teacher educators; the tutelage, mentorship, and guidance he gave aspiring teachers at UCI is an inspiration to us all.” Baron’s commitment to education was deep and far-reaching. After attending UCLA and the University of Nairobi in Kenya, Baron completed his B.A. in Comparative Culture at UCI in 1974, and earned both Single Subject and Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials in 1975. Baron began his educational career working in low socioeconomic status schools at both the elementary and secondary level as a member of the National Teacher Corps program. He went on to teach at the elementary, middle, and high school levels before serving as a school principal at both the elementary and middle school level. “As a methods instructor, Bruce inspired a generation of social science teachers to promote historical thinking in classrooms in middle and high schools throughout California,” said Virginia Panish, director of teacher education at UCI. “In fact, the only thing that surpassed Bruce’s passion for teaching the importance of historical thinking was the care and support he extended to social science candidates and alumni.” |
As a principal, Baron led South Lake Middle School in the Irvine Unified School District to No. 1 in the OC Register’s ranking of all middle schools in Orange County. South Lake was the only school to be ranked in the top three for the first four years the paper compiled such rankings, based on a review of state-mandated educational data.
“I first met Bruce in the late 1970s when he was an elementary school principal in Irvine, and I was supervising student teachers in the Office of Teacher Education at UCI,” said Mary Roosevelt, former coordinator of UCI’s multiple subject teacher credential program. “I spent many hours in his office discussing the best ways to give the UCI student teachers a realistic and enthusiastic teacher training experience in the classroom. He was so supportive and spent valuable time with every student teacher that I placed with him.”
“I was fortunate to work with Bruce at Irvine High School where he took the lead integrating metacognitive strategies into the curriculum in both the Social Science Department and English Departments,” said Jerome Judd, UCI Single Subject Supervisor for English. “I am also fortunate to work with his wife Christine at the UCI Writing Project. Working with both of them made me a better instructor, and our learning community is richer and fuller because of their contributions, compassion, and knowledge they shared with others.”
In the 1980s and 90s, Baron was actively engaged in multicultural education and acted as a consultant to address and ameliorate inter-ethnic tensions that existed at secondary schools throughout Southern California. His work was recognized by the Orange County Human Relations Commission with a Certificate of Commendation acknowledging his “contributions and efforts to cultivate genuine understanding and appreciation for the ideals of equality, human rights and justice.”
School of Education Professor Emerita Carol Booth Olson describes meeting Baron more than 30 years ago: Baron had recently founded the Ethnic Advisory Forum at Irvine High School to help students confront racism. Working with students, he produced a series of short videos about the discrimination that students of diverse backgrounds might encounter on campus, which were then shown to all the history classes.
“I first met Bruce in the late 1970s when he was an elementary school principal in Irvine, and I was supervising student teachers in the Office of Teacher Education at UCI,” said Mary Roosevelt, former coordinator of UCI’s multiple subject teacher credential program. “I spent many hours in his office discussing the best ways to give the UCI student teachers a realistic and enthusiastic teacher training experience in the classroom. He was so supportive and spent valuable time with every student teacher that I placed with him.”
“I was fortunate to work with Bruce at Irvine High School where he took the lead integrating metacognitive strategies into the curriculum in both the Social Science Department and English Departments,” said Jerome Judd, UCI Single Subject Supervisor for English. “I am also fortunate to work with his wife Christine at the UCI Writing Project. Working with both of them made me a better instructor, and our learning community is richer and fuller because of their contributions, compassion, and knowledge they shared with others.”
In the 1980s and 90s, Baron was actively engaged in multicultural education and acted as a consultant to address and ameliorate inter-ethnic tensions that existed at secondary schools throughout Southern California. His work was recognized by the Orange County Human Relations Commission with a Certificate of Commendation acknowledging his “contributions and efforts to cultivate genuine understanding and appreciation for the ideals of equality, human rights and justice.”
School of Education Professor Emerita Carol Booth Olson describes meeting Baron more than 30 years ago: Baron had recently founded the Ethnic Advisory Forum at Irvine High School to help students confront racism. Working with students, he produced a series of short videos about the discrimination that students of diverse backgrounds might encounter on campus, which were then shown to all the history classes.
“Bruce brought that same commitment to equity and inclusion into his Methods classes at UCI,” Olson said. “He encouraged his students to interrogate the history textbooks that schools were adopting to determine what was presented and what was omitted, whose voices were privileged and whose were silenced. He was a role model for all of us and he will be sorely missed.”
“My credential training was 15 years ago, but memories of class time with Bruce are still fresh in my mind,” said Melissa Dahlin, a fourth-year doctoral student at the School of Education. “His enthusiasm, guidance, and support made me excited and prepared to be an educator. He taught me how to use history as a tool to empower students through critical thinking and questioning of dominant narratives. What I learned from him committed me to a life in which I continually seek to be a more informed and more vocal citizen for human rights and equity.” |
In 1983, Baron co-authored the book, What Did You Learn In School Today: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting the Best Possible Education, which was published by Warner Books and subsequently endorsed by groups including the College Board, National PTA, and the National Institute for Education. The book was later adopted by the Consumers’ Union and published by Consumer Reports magazine as their parent guide to Education in the United States.
In 2019, the California Council for the Social Studies named Baron its recipient of the 2020 Hilda Taba Award, given for “exemplary skills, dedication, and commitment to high-quality social studies education.” The award is the Council’s highest honor.
In the spring, a group of colleagues and family members established a scholarship in Baron’s name: The Bruce Baron Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will be awarded to a promising social science single subject candidate in the UCI Master of Arts in Teaching program. Donations to fund the scholarship can be made at the web page listed below.
In 2019, the California Council for the Social Studies named Baron its recipient of the 2020 Hilda Taba Award, given for “exemplary skills, dedication, and commitment to high-quality social studies education.” The award is the Council’s highest honor.
In the spring, a group of colleagues and family members established a scholarship in Baron’s name: The Bruce Baron Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will be awarded to a promising social science single subject candidate in the UCI Master of Arts in Teaching program. Donations to fund the scholarship can be made at the web page listed below.
To support the Bruce Baron Memorial Scholarship, click here. Please select "in Memory of Someone" on the giving form and include Bruce Baron's name.