We’re engaging as partners in all levels of policy. Let us know how we might work together to inform the public about our collaborative efforts to improve P-12 student learning and support the teaching profession. Here’s a few recent examples:
StarTribune: Be Very Careful with Teacher Licensing

• Star Tribune: Be Very Careful with Teacher Licensing

• At the Legislature:

• Future Teachers Must Show, Not Just Tell, Skills

• Supporting Quality Teachers

Scope of Work Agreements (SOWAs)
In the next few months we’ll be working with elementary school sites who have determined they would like to begin the process of becoming a Professional Development School (PDS) site with the UMN-TC. Kathy Byrn, Elementary Education instructor and placement coordinator, continues to work closely with schools to determine clustered placements of teacher candidates for next fall, 2011. Stacy Ernst is working to capture current agreements in a Scope of Work document regarding placements and professional development needs with each school site. Site team involvement in SOWA development and review is essential as we begin to plan together for some “try outs” of the redesign (e.g., longer placements, co-teaching, performance assessments) next year. Our desire is to have all SOWAs completed and teacher candidates placed by June 15th.
Secondary school sites will have another academic year to discuss developing as a PDS or Clinical Cluster School (CCS) model. We seek collaboration to co-identify professional development needs (at the U and in schools) as we plan for 2012-2013. In the meantime, every effort will be made to begin clustering teacher candidates (student teachers) and build relationships in multiple disciplines that are good matches with each secondary school interested in partnering. Please seek times/dates when we might come and speak with your faculty so that we can inform more people about the potential partnership.
District Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs)
District level MOUs for the Teacher Education Redesign Initiative will need to be renegotiated by August 15th, 2011 in preparation for the 2011-2012 academic year. Please review the current agreement, discuss ideas for next steps, and schedule a meeting for review/revision of our current agreement.

On May 2-3, 2011 we’ll be sending a cross-district representative team to a co-teaching workshop in Minneapolis. Those that attend this workshop must attend both days in order to become certified as a co-teaching specialist in the TERI network. All individuals attending training on May 2 and 3rd will be asked to work with the TERI task force for eight hours this summer (please hold August 25 & 26) to prepare to co-deliver co-teaching professional development to our pilot group of teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors trying out the model in Fall 2011.
Individuals selected will be the TERI partner network’s co-teaching specialists. We’re looking for individuals who will be available to work closely with cooperating teacher professional development, mentoring, and/or coaching initiatives for the next two academic years. We will pay the cost for the two-day workshop and for substitute teachers needed, if applicable.

In early April, the Bush Foundation will host another Summit for cross-representative teams from the University of MN-TC. The dates are April 4-6, 2011. The staff at the Bush Foundation has specifically asked that we bring a small team (12 people maximum, 6 district/school reps and 6 UMN-TC reps) of people who are willing to attend all three days of the summit and report back to their districts. Our team will bring together individuals from across our partner districts representing a variety of roles.
1. Assistant Superintendent David Law (WBL)
2. Principal Randy Koch (BC’s elementary school)
3. Teacher Amy Corrigan (TERI school liaison, EMID)
4. Teacher Lisa Hinsz (TERI school liaison, BC’s high school)
5. Director of Teaching and Learning Greg Keith (EMID)
6. Director of Teaching and Learning Jennifer Tolzman (FL)
7. Teacher Mentor Tiffany Moore (TERI district liaison, MPS)
8. K-12 Program Manager Michelle Bierman (TERI district liaison, SPPS)
All 6 TERI partner districts are represented.

As participants in the tri-state Bush Foundation’s grant, UMN-TC teams including school partners, university faculty, and staff met on October 14-15, 2011 to discuss elements of the initiatives (preparation, support/induction, recruitment/retention, placement, assessment) across the 14 grant recipients. More recently, Bush (at the urging of university and school partners) held a Mini-Summit specifically on Teacher Induction and Support on February 18th. A representative team of partners and university faculty attended on behalf of our network. Thanks for representing our team!

On February 15, 2011, 50 representatives from 6 metro-area districts and the University of Minnesota were hosted by Crosswinds School in Woodbury, Minnesota, part of the East Metro Integration District. This evening was focused on the particular opportunities and challenges of developing professional development schools in the secondary context. Two mentor teachers from Crosswinds, who also serve as the schools TERI liaisons, gave an overview of their long-term partnerships with the University with science and language arts teacher candidates. Discussions in small groups included how the University can support schools in their engagement with partnerships, benefits of PDSs in participants’ particular settings, and ways to move the process forward.
TERI Partner Network Night Documents
TERIPartnerNetworkAgenda2-15-11.pdf
Feb15PresentationAdaptiveExpertise.pdf
Crosswinds-Presentation-2011-02-15.pdf

On January 28th, 68 representatives from partner school districts and the University met to share existing data, review value-added data, and discuss potential next steps for collaborative assessment and evaluation. Representatives from the Value Added Research Center at the University of Wisconsin explained the concept of value-added data and shared preliminary reports with partner districts. Program area data from UMN-TC was also shared.


Work Day Documents
AGENDA_-_Jan_28_2011_workday[1][1].pdf
01.28.11_TERI_Work_day (1).pdf
2011_IHE_Site_Visit_Powerpoint.pdf

On December 3rd, 2010, 56 representatives from all partner districts and the UMN-TC faculty met to review progress on the redesign of the curriculum and assessments for teacher education. An overview of the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) was given, and participants had the opportunity to discuss the TPA tasks in small groups. Also at this wok day, special attention was given to the new curriculum timeline and content, including the”Great Lessons” that will serve as cornerstones of the redesign. Feedback was gathered to inform next steps.
December_3_TERI_Workday_agenda.pdf
TERIWorkDay12.3.10[1].pdf

On November 18th, 2010, the TERI Partner Network hosted events to get to know other potential Professional Development School partners. At the November 18th event, 95 attendees from nine metro-area districts and the University of Minnesota were hosted by Brooklyn Center High School. This evening was focused on developing strong partnerships in elementary schools, and particular attention was given the TERI element of co-teaching as a model for student-teaching. As scholars and practitioners of the co-teaching teaching model, several representatives from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud school district, Sartell school district, and Minnesota State University, Mankato joined us to share their expertise and experience. This panel shared their experience implementing co-teaching into the field experience for pre-service teachers. In addition to discussing co-teaching, metro area school partners also had the opportunity to network with University faculty in their same content areas and discuss ways that TERI can benefit their schools and professional communities.
Coteaching.Summary.Final.2011[1].pdf
CoteachingMythsRealitiesTEMPLATE.docx.pdf
TERI_final-November18FNL[1].pdf
TERIPartnerSummitAgenda11-18-10FNL[1].pdf