School/University collaborations: letters from the front

Abstract

As American schools and universities struggle to develop partnerships to improve teaching and learning in both institutions, the success of these partnerships is measured by student success, teacher performance and improved program evaluations. Yet the initial success and sustainability of these partnerships rests in the hands of those ‘at the front’ – those educators and administrators from both the public schools and higher education who struggle with the day-to-day operations of field-based teacher education programs and shared decision-making in a learning community. Learning to navigate the cultural differences, promotion standards, and organizational expectations of both institutions can be difficult. This article shares the experiences of a public school teacher and a university faculty member as they learn about, and from, each other to develop common understandings of effective school/university partnerships.