Enhancing Democracy Through School-University Partnerships

• In Event: Democracy as the Aim of Education: Critical Issues of Leadership, Voice, Equity, and Schooling

Abstract

Using her own studies of working in and with schools, the presenter will share how schools and universities can collaborate to create robust partnerships as democratic communities that can simultaneously renew schools and universities.
Over the last decade, educational policy makers have demanded rigorous teacher preparation programs to produce highly effective teachers to work in schools with diverse populations of students. Proponents have argued for strong school-university collaboration and increased clinical preparation (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education [AACTE], 2018; National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education [NCATE], 2010). These reports provide a compelling rationale for school-university partnerships and clinical preparation, even identifying professional development schools (PDSs) as “significant exemplars for practice” in the preparation of educators (AACTE, 2018, p. 9); National Education Association, 2014). Research on PDSs has shown improvements in teachers’ confidence and skills not only of teacher candidates but also of teachers who directly work with teacher candidates, but also improved PK-12 student achievement in schools that participated as PDSs (Snow, Flynn, Whisenand, & Mohr, 2016). But PDSs have positive implications beyond teacher preparation; such partnerships can be powerful vehicles for teacher leadership development (Burns & Badiali, 2019; Hunzicker, 2018; Nolan, et al., 2009) and support overall school renewal (Burns, et. al, 2020).
PDSs have roots in democratic ideals (Badiali, 2019). John Goodlad and his organization ,National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER), were largely influential in the creation and advocacy for PDSs (Lynch & Badiali, 2019; Rutter, 2011), and such work continues through national organizations like the NNER and the National Association for Professional Development Schools and includes hundreds of PDSs in operation across the United States and around the world (Garin & Burns, 2020).
In the era of state, and federal regulations for high-stakes accountability has increased the pressure on classrooms and schools for students to perform well on standardized tests.(Ravitch, 2013). The consequences have been scripted and narrow curricula, didactic teaching, increase trainings in direct instruction, a decrease in professional autonomy, a mass exodus of teachers, decreased enrollment in teacher preparation programs, and a potentially devastating teacher shortage (Ravitch, 2013; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016).
Given these consequences, it’s imperative that schools and universities work together to enhance democracy and renew schools to better serve children. This means the development of rich and engaging curriculum by teachers who are proactive and creative in working with their students who represent the diversity of America. After all, “one learns to live democratically by actively participating in social environments that seek to be democratic” (Bullough, 2019, p. 7). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to share how schools and universities can partner intentionally to enhance democracy (Glickman and Burns, 2020). The guiding questions for this paper include:
• What is it about Professional Development Schools, as robust school-university partnerships, that give voice to teachers to enhance democracy, particularly in a current high stakes accountability climate?

• How can schools and universities create robust partnerships to empower teachers’ voices in a high stakes accountability climate?

Author

• Rebecca West Burns, University of North Florida