College of Education & Human Services

Monica Rouse, Ed.D.

Monica Rouse, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership

Department: School of Education
Room: Quad Cities Campus
Research Areas: Drop-out Prevention; Alternative Education, Educational Ethics, Special Education
Phone: 563-249-4703 (cell)
Email: mr-rouse@wiu.edu

Resume/CV

About Me

As an assistant professor in the School of Education, I am the coordinator for the master’s program in educational leadership which can lead toward principal certification. I teach a variety of courses in the MSED program and have also facilitated online courses in special education law and the exceptional individual. I joined WIU in the fall of 2020, after having served at the Iowa Department of Education for four years as a consultant with Iowa Learning Online. I have a number of years in public education serving as a principal at the middle school and high school levels, and I began my career as an English teacher in my hometown of Rock Falls, IL.

My research passion is focused on drop-out prevention and alternative education. I believe that alternative schools and programming are often viewed as a last resort for students who struggle in the more traditional industrial model of education, regardless of the reason. Further, I advocate for alternative programming as a standard part of any educational conversation for all students. Each learner’s needs must be a part of the educational planning, and the traditional industrial model of education is not always the best or only option for more non-traditional learners. A subcategory of this area of passion is the trauma-informed classroom and what we have learned about the brain’s response to trauma in the last decade. I believe these two areas of passion are intertwined and are highly relevant in conversations regarding alternative education/programs.

Education:
Doctor of Education
Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Specialization: Teacher Leadership		 2019
Educational Specialist
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL		 2006
Master of Science in Education
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL		 1996
Bachelor of Arts, English
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL		 1988