{"id":208209,"date":"2023-12-21T13:19:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=208209"},"modified":"2023-12-21T13:19:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:19:28","slug":"neag-schools-office-of-teacher-education-hosts-partnership-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2023\/12\/neag-schools-office-of-teacher-education-hosts-partnership-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Neag School\u2019s Office of Teacher Education Hosts Partnership Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month, the Neag School of Education\u2019s Office of Teacher Education<\/a> hosted its first in-person Teacher Education Partnership Summit in years to enhance collaboration between school district partners and the Neag School. Partner districts throughout the state welcome UConn student-teachers and interns into their classrooms and the Neag School, in turn, works closely with districts to combat teacher shortages and support K-12 students.<\/p>\n

The Neag School\u2019s Director of School-University Partnerships for the Integrated Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s (IB\/M) Teacher Education Program, Sandra Qui\u00f1ones<\/a>, initiated the idea, which was refined in collaboration with Alyssa Hadley Dunn<\/a>, Director of Teacher Education, and Tracy Sinclair<\/a>, Director of the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Teacher Education team executed the idea superbly,\u201d Qui\u00f1ones said, praising Dunn\u2019s and Sinclair\u2019s contributions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPost-pandemic setbacks led us to revitalize partnerships, prompting the summit,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n

Districts were encouraged to send three representatives to the daylong event at the Student Union in Storrs, so they could take full advantage of concurrent roundtable discussions. This setup facilitated meaningful connections and an exchange of knowledge, all aligning with the goal of mutual learning.<\/p>\n

\n

This summit was an opportunity for the Neag School to grow as an educator preparation program. We must solicit feedback from our partners to continue to produce high-quality teacher candidates who will go out into the field and impact learning and growth in Connecticut\u2019s children. — Tracy Sinclair<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAnnual partnership events shifted to virtual during COVID,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cUnlike past speaker-focused events, this summit prioritized dialogue and initiative sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gathering also fostered district collaboration, addressing shared challenges in recruiting and mentoring future teachers, and emphasized maintaining a supportive, noncompetitive environment for districts to exchange insights and learn from each other\u2019s educational preparation experiences.<\/p>\n

The event utilized round tables for open, low-stakes discussions guided by questions. Qui\u00f1ones suggested topics such as placement processes and celebrating partnerships without spotlighting one district.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe invited liaisons to discuss UConn student placements, monitoring their progress, and alternative ways to celebrate partnerships,\u201d Qui\u00f1ones said. \u201cEquity and racism in schools emerged as key discussions. Dr. Dunn proposed addressing student safety amidst racism, which garnered significant interest. While I facilitated one discussion, a colleague tackled these pressing issues. The goal was inclusive dialogue, fostering insights and strategies among district partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Afternoon sessions at the daylong event focused on partners in Connecticut\u2019s Alliance Districts, which represent the state\u2019s lowest-performing schools. To address these districts\u2019 higher needs, extra funding is allocated by the Connecticut State Department for developing apprenticeship programs, paying student teachers and interns who are aspiring teachers of color, and enhancing diversity in the profession. Therefore, afternoon discussions revolved around how districts can effectively utilize these additional resources. Specifically, groups spoke of new state legislation that enables paid student-teaching and internships.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe discussed scholarships, particularly for TCPCG\u2019s residency model, while grappling with hurdles in IB\/M\u2019s three-year program,\u201d Dunn said. Adjusting admissions to aid Alliance Scholars\u2019 entry and offering stipends for unpaid student teaching emerged as potential solutions.<\/p>\n

\"Tracy
“Future TCPCG teacher candidates eagerly anticipate reduced tuition,\u201d said Tracy Sinclair, TCPCG’s director. \u201cThis financial relief aims to broaden access to top-ranked programs, fostering a diverse teaching force in Connecticut.\u201d (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most exciting for future TCPCG students is a recently approved reduction in tuition, effective Summer 2024. Along with the restructure of the program’s summer courses, it will be a direct cost-savings benefit for students.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuture TCPCG teacher candidates eagerly anticipate reduced tuition,\u201d Sinclair said. \u201cRestructured summer courses promise direct cost benefits for these graduate students, vital amid steep education expenses. This financial relief aims to broaden access to top-ranked programs, fostering a diverse teaching force in Connecticut. Importantly, this change maintains program rigor, ensuring the Neag School’s renowned quality while enhancing the learning experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each group discussion throughout the day had a designated notetaker from the Office of Teacher Education team. The collection of experiences, questions, and concerns will aid the Office in creating improvement strategies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will review this information and send a follow-up email with survey questions to everyone who attended, aiming to gather further insights for analysis and action,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis summit was an opportunity for the Neag School to grow as an educator preparation program,\u201d Sinclair said. \u201cWe must solicit feedback from our partners to continue to produce high-quality teacher candidates who will go out into the field and impact learning and growth in Connecticut\u2019s children.\u201d<\/p>\n

The preliminary feedback from the districts was positive and encouraging.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a well-planned event that was productive for participants,\u201d said Lara White, director of equity and inclusion for Waterbury Public Schools. \u201cHaving the time to discuss and plan was valuable. The opportunity to talk with folks and other districts was key in exchanging ideas, issues, and new approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Office of Teacher Education hopes to hold a follow-up activity in the spring, as district leaders expressed interest in returning, indicating an eagerness for further discussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Sinclair and I observed their scarcity of opportunities to connect and share perspectives, leading to their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the collaborative dialogue on UConn partnerships,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n

The day of collaboration also brought some familiar faces to Storrs, including alumni and even Dunn\u2019s former teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a three-time graduate of the Neag School and a current central office administrator, I\u2019m exceptionally proud of the high-quality programs and rich opportunities that the Neag School provides and creates for its students,\u201d said Kate Lund \u201906 ED, \u201907 MA, 12 6th<\/sup> Year, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Glastonbury Public Schools. \u201cIn my current role, I\u2019m grateful to have an active partnership with the Neag School to ensure our schools and mentor teachers meet or exceed the needs and expectations of pre-service educators.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sonya
\u201cIt was a thrill to reconnect with Dr. Hadley Dunn 23 years later. I am so proud of all she has accomplished, but not surprised,” said Sonya Stemmer, left, supervisor of professional learning and teacher evaluation for East Hartford Public Schools, who was also Alyssa Hadley Dunn’s, right, high school English teacher. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When participants first arrived at the event, Dunn recognized one particular educator, who turned out to be her high school English teacher Sonya Stemmer. Stemmer is now the supervisor of professional learning and teacher evaluation for East Hartford Public Schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a thrill to reconnect with Dr. Hadley Dunn 23 years later,\u201d she said. \u201cI am so proud of all she has accomplished, but not surprised. Alyssa was a remarkable student and an even more remarkable human; I imagine she brought that same energy, compassion, and joy to her classrooms. I am excited about working with her and supporting her vision for the Neag School\u2019s IB\/M and TCPCG programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

View photos from the Partnership\u00a0Summit on the Neag School\u2019s Facebook page<\/a>,<\/i> and learn more about the Neag School\u2019s Teacher Education program at <\/em>teachered.education.uconn.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The revitalized event welcomed school district representatives to Storrs and enhanced collaboration to benefit future teachers and Connecticut’s classrooms<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":208214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2426,2428,2424,1855],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1879],"class_list":["post-208209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curriculum-instruction","category-educational-psychology","category-neag-community-engagement","category-neag"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-01 19:27:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208209"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208232,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208209\/revisions\/208232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/208214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208209"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=208209"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=208209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}