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Remembering a master teacher and mentor The education community in general and the alternative education community specifically lost a true friend and mentor this summer. Justus Beach, known to family and friend as "JB," passed away in August after a short stay in the hospital. JB received his Bachelors in Education from Teachers College of Connecticut (now Central Connecticut State University) in 1943. He earned his Masters and Doctorate in Education Administration from Columbia University and returned to CCSU to teach in the Education Department in 1960. Many of us in the education community remember JB’s Ed 400 course as undergraduates and his emphasis on thinking outside the box. JB would routinely bring people in from the alternative education ranks to help us explore a better path to education. He helped guide countless developing alternative programs through start up pitfalls. JB retired from CCSU in 1989 but remained an advisor to the Connecticut Association of Alternative Schools and Programs up until his death. He conducted a panel on Best Practices in Alternative Education at annual conferences allowing teachers to share "what’s working in their schools" with fellow alternative teachers from around the state. JB was a tireless worker for improving education for all students. He helped many of us explore new ways to provide services to our students and take education in a different direction. JB will be greatly missed by the entire education community but especially by those of us in alternative education. In the words of JB, "Remember, you are on the cutting edge of education. Don’t be afraid to take a chance. No one has ever proven that stopping to ask a student how things are going in your class has been responsible for a drop in standardized test scores." JB, thanks for everything. Bill "Boots" Scalise