Dr. Kelley Castlin-Gacutan

Dr. Kelley Castlin-Gacutan serves as Assistant Professor of Education and Director of the Center for Teacher Preparation at Shorter University (GA). In this capacity, Castlin-Gacutan leads the university’s efforts to prepare and mentor pre-service teachers for successful careers in public schools. She believes that teachers must be content experts, pedagogically sound, and passionate. Equally important, Castlin-Gacutan is one of the few university-based faculty members anywhere, who advocates for alternative routes to teaching. “I have been on the front lines, and I can tell you, that there is no single formula for producing a great teacher. I have washed out plenty of traditionally trained teachers, just as I have worked with plenty of successful alternatively trained teachers.”

Prior to the university, Castlin-Gacutan worked in the public school system as an assistant superintendent, director of school improvement, middle school principal, elementary school principal, and teacher. Proudly, she has always made student achievement and teacher quality her priorities. Castlin-Gacutan is widely reputed as an expert at teacher preparation and has been honored with a number of national, state, and community awards.