How are school-university partnerships initiated?

Professional Development School Partnerships require support and ownership at all levels of the educational community at the school and the university site. The likelihood of long-term success is diminished if little or no input is solicited from faculty members and other stakeholders in the educational environments. The establishment of a partnership requires that both sites examine their current time and resource commitments, and the value placed on partnership work by site and program administrators. Partnerships must be developed for the mutually beneficial purposes.

Initial interest in a Professional Development School partnership may come from either the public school site in the Tuscaloosa County Schools, the Tuscaloosa City Schools, or from the College of Education. If a school is interested in obtaining information, they may contact the ACER director. Similarly, a College of Education faculty member may express interest in exploring some options for partnership at a particular school site, and also may contact the ACER director. However, neither party is obligated to form a partnership if approached by the other. Partnership work requires a need for examination and exploration as to what realistically could be accomplished, as well as a discussion on the necessary commitment and specific responsibilities inherent in the partnership.