Jackson State University hosted a two-day event this week for a coalition of universities and partner school districts that will help reform programs that prepare teachers.
The collaboration among six southern and southeastern population centers is called U.S.PREP (University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation) National Center.
Aside from JSU, other universities benefiting from a $7 million grant awarded to Texas Tech University include Southern Methodist University, University of Houston, Southeastern Louisiana University and University of Memphis.
Texas Tech University received the grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create the national center to foster teacher reform.
For now, the coalition includes six universities in Texas and neighboring states. However, it will expand to other universities after three years.
Dean Scott Ridley, who authored the grant proposal, said the name highlights the importance of collaborating with school districts, which is critical to education reform.
“I believe the historical lack of deep and authentic university-school partnerships has been the cause of some of today’s challenges in American education,” he said. “Now we have the opportunity to demonstrate how alignment can be a solution. We rise or fall together.”