On April 11, Marva Collins will speak at ETSU as part of the Dr. Roy Nicks Distinguished Lecture Series “Relighting the Candles of Excellence.”
Marva Collins is an African-American woman born and raised in Atmore, Ala. Collins grew up during a time when segregation was in schools. After graduating from Clark College in Atlanta, Ga., she taught school in Alabama for two years.
She then moved to Chicago where she taught public schools for 14 years. She was dissatisfied with the quality of education in the public school system and believed that children deserved better.
Then in 1975, she started Westside Preparatory School in Garfield Park. This was a private school for the inner city children of Chicago. While most of the students were considered “disabled,” many of them graduated high school and went on to graduate college and become working professionals.
Collins has since written books and manuals explaining her method. Her methods were so fascinating that Harvard University sent scholars to observe them. One of the sayings or creeds she has the children repeat daily is, “I was born to win if I do not spend too much time trying to fail.”
Perhaps Collins methods are simply optimism and hope. “She believes every child can be successful and she used positive re-enforcement in her teaching styles to development confidence in child,” said Evelyn Roach of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. “She is someone who has succeeded where others have failed and she is truly an educational leader of the 21st century.”
Dr. Roy Nicks Distinguished Lecture Series is an annual event put together by the Educational Leadership Doctoral Fellows. This is the ninth year of the series. Past speakers include Dr. Paul D. Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators and Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
“The reasons we wanted Marva Collins was because of her dedication to students and her inspirational writings,” said Roach.
Marva Collins “Relighting the Candles of Excellence” is a free event that will take place on April 11 at 7 p.m. in the Culp Auditorium.
Collins has also agreed to a question and answers session on April 11 at 1:30 p.m. in the Forum for those students and faculty who are looking to make a difference in the lives of children.

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