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California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and the Michael D. Eisner College of Education have developed partnerships with the region’s preK-12 schools. Three new partnerships are with the Los Angeles Unified School District: Julie Korenstein Elementary School (Local District 2), Carlos Santana Arts Academy, and the new Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences (both Local District 1). Areas of targeted need for these schools range from building school culture to offering
Partnerships in Education
What Partnerships Mean to School Principals
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Three partnership principals comment on their collaborations with CSUN.
Principal Brenda Olortegui Julie Korenstein Elementary School A healthy partnership supports a collaborative and reflective
Fall 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1
PreK-12 Partnerships Newsletter What’s Happening?
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professional development in the arts and sciences.
In addition, Barbara Charness, the School Partnership Liaison for CSUN, is collaborating with the Plan Writing Teams for both Vista Middle School and Elementary School #13. Each team includes teachers, administrators, parents, and community members who craft the school’s Plan for its instructional program as well as the resources needed for the Plan’s implementation as part of the Public School Choice process.
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Cal State Northridge faculty from a variety of departments are providing support and resources to these schools. As our partnerships grow and the areas of need change, we welcome additional faculty involvement in these exciting projects that serve our community schools.
Josh Einhorn, grant writer for the College, and Barbara Charness are also actively pursuing collaborations with school districts in order to seek grant opportunities to support local districts and schools in their targeted professional development goals.
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dialogue around the needs and proposed objectives of the school. This partnership acknowledges the diverse potential of each school’s unique improvement plan and supports the school by allowing for authentic problem solving to flourish at the school. Partnerships do not drive the school’s agenda but contribute to implementing and/or building a culture of learners. Successful partnerships might include any or all of the following qualities:
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• Listening to school leaders.
• Integrating with the school community during professional development growth activities to build credibility.
• Creating an atmosphere of mutual respect.
• Providing the resources needed to support the identified needs of the school.
• Respecting the school’s small, manageable focus that can transpire into larger goals.
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We’re on the Web See us at:
Michael D. Eisner College of Education
http://www.csun.edu/coe
California State University
Northridge http://www.csun.edu/
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Principal Greg Vallone, Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences High School It’s not very often that a university opens its doors to the community and asks, “How can we help you?” However, that’s exactly what Dean Michael Spagna did. Barbara Charness, the College of Education’s School Partnership Liaison, is committed to being an integral part of what happens at the Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences. She calls
Principals Share Views
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CSUN faculty are involved with partnership schools. Dr. Larry Oviatt, Art Department, is presently engaged in activities at two of our partnership schools. At
CSUN Faculty Involved with Partnership Schools
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I am so thankful for the wonderful partnership that is developing with CSUN. Thanks to Larry Oviatt, Barbara Charness, and Sandra Chong, we have been able to begin to realize our focus on effectively infusing the arts across the curriculum. It is rewarding to be able to collaborate with knowledgeable and committed individuals who understand the challenges that public schools are facing. I am inspired by their willingness to engage our school and teachers in the process of developing aspiring teachers who proceed with unbridled passion! It is a symbiotic relationship that we share. The novice and master come together to create instruction that is engaging and rigorous and filled with risk taking opportunities for students and teachers.
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regularly just to ask how things are going, and she follows-up – it’s a true partnership! It’s exciting to be in a partnership that is broadly defined as a relationship to support teaching and student achievement. There are no limits to what I can request, as CSUN always tries to accommodate, and if they can’t directly assist, they suggest other options and solutions.
Principal Leah Bass-Baylis, Carlos Santa Arts Academy Elementary School
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Carlos Santana Arts Academy Elementary School (Local District 1), Larry’s CSUN teacher candidates teach art lessons to the academic subject matter teachers in various grade levels. He is also engaged with the new
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Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences faculty, bringing arts education, dialogue, and activities to their faculty. Dr. Ivan Cheng, Secondary Education Department, continues
CO-EDITORS
Barbara Charness
School Partnership Liaison CSU Northridge
&
Cynthia G. Desrochers Professor, CSU Northridge
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Barbara Charness School Partnership Liaison
CSUN &
Josh Einhorn Grant Writer
College of Education
* * * *
HOW CAN YOU BECOME A
PARTNER?
Contact: Barbara Charness
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his work in the area of math with local middle and high schools. Ivan’s innovative approach to teaching algebra has shed light on the implementation of the math curriculum and offers teachers the opportunity to dialogue
CSUN Faculty in Partnerships
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Harold Hellenbrand Provost & Vice President Academic Affairs, CSUN
The only way to reduce unforeseen consequences is to plan ahead and work daily with partners. We will never be really strategic individually; we can only be strategic collaboratively.
Messages from the Provost & Dean
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with one another over math concepts. Dr. Christina von Mayrhauser, Anthropology Department, has met with two elementary schools. The topic requested for discussion
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at one school was, “How to create a positive school climate and culture.” The other school’s discussion topic was, “How students learn and how to create a climate which extends higher order thinking among students.”
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Michael E. Spagna Dean, College of Education, CSUN
Strong partnerships can only serve to improve student educational outcomes as well as promote meaningful professional development for school-based faculty. The University’s involvement in partnerships allows us the privilege to observe best practices and to learn from them as we facilitate critical
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conversations that lead to the expansion of the collective knowledge of both entities. As we learn from one another, the opportunity to bring important knowledge and practices back to our University is enhanced; this also allows us to better align our work with the needs of local schools. Understandably, these efforts will require a paradigm shift in how we work together. I look forward to the development of new partnerships, nurturing existing relationships, and building sustainable relationships to positively impact student learning in the community.
PreK-12 Schools’ Expressed Areas of Interest: Join the Team! * Health & Wellness * Academic Technology * Curriculum Alignment * Effective Grading
* The Arts * Classroom Climate * STEM * Leadership Development
Opportunities in School Districts
including: LAUSD Ventura Burbank Simi Oak Park Las Virgenes
