The partnership between the UED and Hopkins is expected to be mutually beneficial to both parties. The parties have agreed to annually meet during spring and/or summer to evaluate the effectiveness of this collaboration in meeting our mutually beneficial short-term and long-term goals, and we agree to adjust plans accordingly to accomplish those goals. The short- and long-term goals are developed and agreed upon by the two parties. For example, during our spring 2022 meeting before our formal designated partner agreement was solidified and signed, we discussed our mutual long-term goal of diversifying the teaching workforce in Hopkins. The Hopkins administrative team reported that the student teaching internship program has been very effective in helping to diversify the district’s workforce over the years by having three UED teacher candidates per year paid to complete an extended student teaching assignment in the district.

(4) engage in decision-making processes regarding changes to design and implementation of teacher preparation programs.

UED and Hopkins have agreed to have a standing agenda item for any decisions that need to be made together to the design and implementation of UED licensure programs as provided to Hopkins non-licensed staff.  Furthermore, this standing agenda item will allow the UED to seek Hopkins’ feedback regarding any proposed changes the UED is considering to the design and implementation of UED’s teacher preparation programs that may have an impact on the competence of teacher candidates placed or hired in Hopkins.

For example, in the spring of 2022 Hopkins asked UED to partner in providing preparation to its early childhood staff who need to be licensed Birth-Grade 3 or gain a PreK endorsement supported by an ECE Grow Your Own grant Hopkins was awarded. We decided together to try and implement an on-site cohort if there were sufficient numbers of Hopkins employees interested or, if there weren’t sufficient numbers, offer cohort-like, collaborative learning opportunities for those who decide to seek licensure. We worked to offer several virtual information sessions, and collaborated on targeted follow-up with district ECE educators who need licensure to be lead PreK classroom teachers.

Another example is the request of Hopkins in summer of 2022 to develop a pathway for their staff licensed grades 7-12 to expand their licenses to grades 5-12 as they will be teaching in the district’s newly restructured middle school in the 2023-24 school year.