School Partnerships
Field experience and clinical practice are central to the preparation of teacher candidates at Canisius University. The School of Education and Human Services has developed many strong, intentional relationships with school partners who share responsibility and accountability for teacher preparation and student learning.
The development and sustainability of dynamic and integrated partnerships requires a commitment to work together in areas of mutual interest and ongoing participation in formal roles across institutions. Faculty members and clinical educators in education-related departments serve as liaisons to partnership schools and with school partners, co-design field experiences of sufficient depth, breath and diversity to ensure coherence across the clinical and academic components of teacher preparation. Mentor teachers, effective in their teaching practice, are jointly identified, trained and supported to monitor the growth and development of a teacher candidate during field experiences.
The Student Teaching Advisory and Partnership Council, with a broad representative membership of teachers and school leaders from local public, charter and Catholic schools, meets twice annually to advise the Director of School and Community Partnerships on topics related to the design and delivery of field experiences, the selection and training of clinical educators and current trends in P-12 schools.
For more information about school partnerships, contact:
Elizabeth Turner '04, MsEd, '08
Director of Educational Partnerships
(716) 888- 2768
@email