Woodring College of Education and Bellingham School District
Higher Ed. Partnership – Minutes
September 11, 2003
Attendance : Susan Zoller, Dale Kinsley, Adrienne Nelson, Lisa Conlon, David Carroll, Stephanie Salzman, Shirley Potter, Lauren McClanahan, Laurie Phelan, Jennifer McCleery, Sheila Fox, and Donnet Brown. Absent: William Lay and Rob McElroy
Welcome and Reconnection:
New attendees were introduced: Laurie Phelan, Jennifer McCleery, Shirley Potter, Donnett Brown, and Lauren McClanahan.
The outcome for the Higher Education Partnership was reviewed: To establish a seamless induction process from recruitment, through pre service, to professional certification that is based on a shared understanding of good teaching practices and that uses common tools and processes to support self-evaluation, reflection, and inquiry.
The goal for today's meeting was to report on the four actions identified at the June meeting by sharing accomplishments, challenges/solutions, and next steps to be taken by the members.
1. Partnership Agreement
Accomplishments: Stephanie and Dale presented a document that described the overarching purpose of the partnership. A “Coordinating Board” would implement and monitor the work of the partnership that is to be grounded in the well being and student learning in the K – 12 Classrooms.
Challenges and Solutions: The group reviewed the document and made suggestions for clarity in wording and concepts: Incorporate concept that this a career long support, the professional development is within the context of schools, define “regular”, and include “ student learning “ in the mission statement.
Next Steps:
• Stephanie will make suggested changes and send them to Adrienne who will get the revised Agreement out to the partnership with the minutes by Sept. 16th.
• Dale and Stephanie will see that the Agreement goes to the appropriate organization personnel to formalize the Agreement. The target date is October 10 th .
• Dale and Stephanie will determine strategies for making this new agreement public by Mid Oct.
•
Opportunities for Joint Learning
Accomplishments: Adrienne
shared information about a learning opportunity that can be provided by the
New Teacher Center. The focus would be on the use of common formative assessment
tools from pre service to professional certification: Collaborative Assessment
Log, Analysis of Student Work, Goal Setting, and Self Reflection. The structure
would consist of 4 sessions spread out over a year. Each session would be three
days with the last session being two days. The cost is $3000.00 per day plus
travel expenses and each institution's expenses. 65 participants would include
teacher with student teachers, coaches, supervisors, and WCE staff.
Challenges/Solutions: Budget needs, schedule that fits both partners, being out of the classroom for the learning opportunity. Suggestions for places included Zuanich Park and ensuring that teams would have access to classrooms.
Next Steps:
3. Building a Structure for Professional Certification Process:
Accomplishments: Sheila presented a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines a partnering in order to offer a professional certificate program. The document is organized on three guiding principles.
Challenges/Solutions: Determine where teachers who have more than 2 years of experience and have residency certificates will fit into the program.
Next Steps:
• The membership will read over the document and send suggestions, questions, and revisions to Sheila through email sheila.fox@wwu.edu by September 18 th .
• The subcommittee will be meeting on the 18 th at 9:00 am at Roeder and will consider the emailed suggestions as well as continue to describe the program components.
• Give # of teachers in Cohort I to WCE/WWU – by end of Oct.
4. Revision of Board Policy 5440
Accomplishments: Susan Zoller shared a draft of a revised Board Policy that describes how student teachers and interns are placed in the Bellingham School District.
Challenges/Solutions: If the mentor academy is a prerequisite for having student teachers, then the academy may need to be offered at other times than the summer. To ensure that the policy can be implemented, a MOU will need to be written.
Next Steps:
• Suggestions for revisions are to be emailed to Susan before the end of October szoller@bham.wednet.edu
• Jennifer McCleery will get copies of other Higher Ed/District MOUs to Susan Zoller and help in the development of a MOU by the next meeting.
The current membership will become the “Coordinating Board” as outlined in the Partnership Agreement
The members decided to move ahead and partner with the New Teacher Center to provide a joint learning experience for both institutions for 03-04.
The next meeting of this planning group will be in Mid October, 2003. Cindy Backstrom, secretary in the Office of Professional Development, will contact the Board Members with the date, place, and time.