Carl Glickman will speak about educational reform at seminars next Monday and Tuesday as the Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors Chair.

A published author, a Teacher Corps intern in the south during desegregation and former principal of award-winning schools in New Hampshire, Glickman currently is the president of the Institute for Schools, Education, and Democracy and Professor Emeritus of education at the University of Georgia.

Glickman said he was honored to be invited to speak at the university about education reform.

Glickman’s seminar topics will be “Good and/or Effective Schools: What do we mean?” and “An Educator’s Memoir: A Dreaded Class and a Growing Voice.”

Glickman said educators need to focus on giving students real world application rather than teaching to the test.

“The more we drill them, the more resistance, the more boring, the less value the students see in sitting in the classroom,” Glickman said.

Glickman said the original purpose of schools was to create an educated citizenry so people could think for themselves and create a better society.

“School would be a much more intellectually interesting place for students and teachers if we returned to our original purpose,” Glickman said.

Marla McGhee, associate professor of educational leadership, said she nominated Glickman for the Green Honors Chair. McGhee said Glickman’s work would appeal to both faculty and students.

“We hope that he will share some information with us and challenge our thinking,” McGhee said.

The Green Honors Chair position gives students and faculty the opportunity to interact with renowned individuals, McGhee said. Cecil and Ida Green endowed $600,000 to allow departments at the university the opportunity to host distinguished scholars, scientists, writers, and other career persons, according to a press release.

Glickman’s seminars will be at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5 and Tuesday, Nov. 6. in the Betsy and Steve Palko Hall Auditorium.