Robert Howard, longtime Education faculty member, dies

Dr. Robert Howard, an associate professor in the UW Tacoma Education program, died April 11 after a brief illness. He was 56.

In 1978 Howard received his bachelor of science, magna cum laude, in Elementary Education Social Sciences, and in 1980 a master of education degree in Educational Administration, both from the University of Utah In 1986 he received his doctor of education degree in Human Development from Harvard University.

While at Harvard, he was a well-respected and contributing member of the Center for Moral Education, which was founded and directed by his mentor, Lawrence Kohlberg.

Upon graduation, Howard founded Kenny-Howard Associates in Lexington, Massachusetts an educational consulting firm that specialized in helping schools, clinics and foundations across the country implement the principles of Kohlberg into their work with youth. His long-time consulting work with Eunice Kennedy Shriver at the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation greatly influenced the highly effective and nationally acclaimed adolescent pregnancy prevention program Community of Caring, which was based on Kohlberg's principles. He was the co-founder of the New England Conference of Democratic Schools, which was a precursor to his career-long commitment to implementing democratic practices and principles in schools modeled after Kohlberg’s “Just Community” work.

Because of his pursuit of practical applications and relatively early implementation of the work of the Center, Lawrence Kohlberg nominated him to be an “Associate in Education” at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Howard was passionate about the notion that moral education and moral development would flourish in an environment in which everyone had decision-making power.

Howard went on to serve in other leadership roles in the Sacramento (CA) Unified School District, at the Puget Sound Educational Service District (ESD) in Burien, and with the Commission on Student Learning in Olympia, Washington. Before formally entering his professional work in higher education, he served as the director of citizen education for the Center for Ethical Leadership in Seattle.

During Howard’s work with the ESD and beyond, he displayed his advocacy for service opportunities through AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America with the Washington Commission for National & Community Service. He organized and promoted service opportunities on numerous campuses and with community organizations for countless national service projects.

Howard began work at the University of Washington as a visiting lecturer in 1997. In September 2000 he joined the faculty of the University of Washington Tacoma Education program. He was active in the development and growth of the Education program, the Tacoma campus, and the University system. Howard came to UW Tacoma with a strong service record, and he continued throughout his tenure to engage in extensive professional and community service.

He was the executive director of Democracy.org, an educational nonprofit organization that he founded to promote and provide resources for citizenship education, democratic classrooms and schools, moral/character education, and social capital and service learning. Through this organization, his numerous community efforts and his work with his students, Bob promoted education for democratic citizenship, decision making through ethical principles, and equity in a global society.

A public memorial service will be held at William W. Philip Hall on the UW Tacoma campus on May 10 at 4 p.m.