Dear school-based educators

I first learned about NAPDS in 2013 while I was engaged in graduate coursework at the University of South Florida (USF). My colleagues and mentors advocated for the involvement of doctoral students. As I inquired about NASUP, my interest grew in learning not only about the vision and mission of NASUP but also how to become involved. At the time, I was in a boundary-spanning role with a local public school district and USF. In my boundary-spanning role, I supervised and coached undergraduate students (teacher candidates) in their clinical experiences; taught undergraduate courses; collaborated with school and university-based educators in initial teacher preparation programs; and designed and led professional learning with school-based educators. My professional practice and doctoral work were linked to school-university partnerships and boundary-spanners. I collaborated with my colleagues on a proposal, it was accepted and I began my PDS Affiliation first as a member and presenter in 2014. The following year, I continued my membership with NASUP and presented for the second time.

This was essential for me as a school-based educator working with teacher candidates. As a collective, we became thought partners and began building structures and processes and generating innovative ideas to inform our partnerships. We gained new insight into strategies, support and tools to apply at the school and university level. As a boundary-spanner, I applied what I learned and experienced from the annual conferences to my everyday work with my school-university partners. For me, the conferences became more than a space for learning. They became a space where I met other boundary-spanners, school-based practitioners and partners and university-based faculty who faced similar and different school and university successes and challenges. It was because of these experiences and opportunities that I wanted to learn more about the organization. The annual conferences are what piqued my interest in learning more about NASUP beyond membership, attending and presenting.

While at the conference, I was talking with a group of attendees from an out-of-state school system, and they shared that they were proposal reviewers for NASUP. I reached out to colleagues who were part of NASUP to inquire about opportunities to review conference proposals. I connected with the conference committee and the following year, I reviewed conference proposals. The review process assisted me in gaining a deeper understanding of the criteria needed for proposal submission and acceptance. As I read the proposal submissions, I not only read for connections to the conference strands and mission; collaboration between both school and university-based partners; research-based practices; and interest to the members but I also learned how other school-university partners were engaged in the work. The experience helped me gain insight into the innovations occurring at other school-university partnerships and meet new colleagues. I was fortunate to review conference proposals for the annual conference starting in 2015 and continuing through 2017. Being part of the review process created a pathway for me to connect with others from NASUP.

The NAPDS was a space for me to enhance my learning and network with other educators whose roles and responsibilities were like mine. The ability to present the work that I was engaged in with my school and university partners sparked a new level of positive energy. We are now a collective group of educators. The positive exchanges with these organizational individuals prompted me to want to be more involved with NASUP. So, when election notifications came out for the next president-elect position to be a P-12 educator, I was encouraged to think about being one of the nominees. In 2017–2018, I was voted as the next president-elect for the P-12 educator/school-based representative. I felt this rush of excitement about the opportunity to lead a major organization. Although nervous at the time, I knew the relationships I built and the various roles I served in over the years gave me the core foundational knowledge to take on the presidency. NASUP acknowledges that the core of our work is equally balanced among school and university-based educators. With this balance comes the commitment from the organization to recognize the importance of voice and presence among P-12 educators. In my role as a boundary-spanner, I was situated in both spaces. I felt my perspective as a school-based educator as well as a collaborator with university-based educators would guide NASUP in balancing the voices of P-12 educators and university educators' voices. This is why I feel so connected to NASUP. The organizational structure of NASUP ensures P-12 educators and higher education educators are represented equally on its leadership.

I started my presidential term in 2017 as president-elect. I wondered how my new NASUP role would impact my daily role as a boundary-spanner, partnership work and my graduate work. I knew in the next few years I would be completing my graduate work, and my educator's role would shift. I decided I would focus on reorienting my leadership skills. The leadership responsibilities that came with the presidential term were like no other leadership I experienced. As I reflected, I was calmed by the notion that NASUP was grounded in dedicated members with common interests. I would build upon those common interests and approach the opportunity to learn about myself as a leader and learn from the members of NASUP to continue to move NASUP forward. I knew part of developing my leadership skills meant being comfortable in spaces where other leaders were present.

Before I was president-elect, NASUP initiated an Association of Teacher Educator (ATE)/NAPDS Joint Task Force. I was invited into the space as president-elect along with other essential members of NAPDS. I appreciated the opportunity to be part of the Joint Task Force as it provided me with an opportunity to learn with and from leaders of two national organizations. In 2018–2019, I led NASUP during my term as president. I learned a lot about myself as a leader and appreciated the core group of colleagues and NASUP members who supported, challenged and assisted me as I navigated the presidency. I followed up my presidency as past president in 2019–2020.

After my presidential term ended, I stayed active in the organization and shifted back to attending, presenting and networking at the annual conference. Then in 2021, a new committee was created, the Council of Past Presidents. I became the Chair of Past Presidents from then until 2025, when I served as co-chair of the position. Chairing and co-chairing the committee afforded me the opportunity to continue to be an essential part of NASUP's leadership and support NASUP with establishing the new committee. The committee is comprised of individuals who have served as presidents of NASUP. Those on the committee have a strong commitment to and deep knowledge of the inner workings of the organization. The goal of the committee is to prepare future leaders of the organization, maintain the history of the organization, provide institutional memory of the organization and provide support to the three presidents in office as president-elect, president and past president and NASUP leadership. From the time of my president-elect role to the present, recognizing and reorienting my leadership skills has underpinned my beliefs as a leader. I have learned the importance of listening, acting, reflecting and asking as a leader.

During my presidency in 2019, the theme for the conference was The Essentials of PDS: Implementation, Innovation and Impact. The leadership team selected the theme to provide opportunities for our members to highlight their partnership work knowing it takes implementation, innovation and impact from all those engaged in the work to create transformative partnerships that embrace a culture dedicated to professional development schools.

The biggest challenges during my presidency were maintaining and enhancing the NASUP membership and negotiating annual conference venues. This was due to the recent shift in the organization “to stand on its own” in 2016. We were dedicated to the continuation of building our reputation as leaders and advocates of Professional Development Schools.

The success of NASUP would need to depend on many variables but members were key. There were many conversations on about how to maintain current members and encourage others to join. It was during these conversations that we viewed our mission and vision and opened discussions on rebranding the NAPDS logo. The announcement of the new logo was made during my past presidency term. The symbol of NAPDS emphasized the collaborative efforts of school university partnerships and the third space in which collaboration occurs. The representation of these collaborative efforts is represented in two overlapping squares. The colors red, white and blue represent the national reach of NAPDS with the letters of PDS in red to highlight the importance of professional development schools.

At the beginning of my letter, I mentioned that my hope is that as you read this letter you can relate to my journey and consider how your involvement with NASUP could enhance your educational practice and positively impact you as an educator. When I first connected with NASUP, I was a school-based educator. I am now in higher education. In my current university role, I collaborate with my school and university-based partners daily. Over the years that I have been in higher education, I have worked with many school and university-based partners to attend and present at the annual conferences. The people I have connected through all my time with the NASUP have continued to provide hope and encouragement to me in my daily work as an educator.

I would encourage you to think about your educational journey and how NASUP might be a great “fit” for you. The NASUP leadership team is dedicated to supporting, encouraging and uplifting partnership work and the educational profession. NASUP is unique in that it is one of the few associations that emphasizes PreK-12 student and teacher candidate learning, supports school and university-based educators and honors school university partnerships. I learned as a member, presenter, reviewer and leader within NASUP that school university partnerships are complex and require passionate educators who are willing to devote time and patience and advocate for strong partnerships that create sustainable pathways for future generations. In the future I hope NASUP continues to (1) grow its membership, (2) advance school and university partnerships, (3) advocate for teacher education and (4) evoke change in the educational landscape.

As I reflect on my experiences within NASUP over the last decade, I recognize the positive impact the association made to my professional career. Specifically, during my presidency, I learned different ways to form partnerships, sustain structures, build processes and learn from dedicated individuals within and among the NASUP space. I am grateful for all my experiences with the association, my colleagues and mentors who introduced me to NASUP and how the NASUP space and the people within the space have shaped me as a teacher educator and leader.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. Sincerely,