Washington Center for Teaching & Learning
University of Washington
Box 351413
3945 15th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98195

Phone: 206-221-4116
Fax: 206-897-1469
pgsexton@u.washington.edu

Ackerley Partner School Network: Vision

Partner Schools: A Vision of What Could Be

Why partner schools?

Teacher preparation must . . . .

  • Serve P-12 pupils who face the greatest challenges
  • Prepare educators who can be successful with P-12 pupils in the most challenging circumstances
  • Be shaped by P-12 school realities
  • Be designed, delivered, & evaluated by a collaborative team of university faculty & P-12 educators
  • Be informed by data from program graduates’ experiences & effects in P-12 classrooms

How do we envision Partner Schools?

Partner schools…

  • See partnering with the UW as a resource to help them get where they want to go
  • Engage in regular conversations with UW faculty & staff about challenging issues in teaching and learning
  • Use resources from the University -- undergrad tutors, student teachers, graduate assistants, UW faculty -- to improve pupil learning
  • Collaborate with the UW on preparing teachers and new teacher support & induction
  • Are sites where UW TEP & professional development courses are taught
  • Provide opportunities for P-12 educators to undertake new roles -- co-teaching UW course, working with novices, developing leadership capacities, collaborating on inquiry projects, etc.
  • Are in regular conversation and collaboration with other partner schools within a "learning network"

How do Partner Schools differ from traditional placement schools?

Traditional placement site

  • Schools as practice sites
  • P-12 educators limited input into TEP
  • Focus: Individual classrooms
  • University faculty connected to cooperating teachers
  • Goal: Intentional learning for student-teachers

Partner School (PS)

  • School is an integral, participating part of TEP
  • P-12 educators as part of TEP with regular input
  • Focus: Entire school
  • University faculty and graduate assistants connected to groups of teachers
  • Goals: Intentional learning for all -- pupils, tutors, student teachers, P-12 educators, university faculty, graduate assistants -- & school improvement