Tripartite Council Report
Submitted by Jean Eagle
Miami University Partnership
October 26, 2007
In business meetings held in conjunction with the annual conference of the National Network of Educational Renewal, the Tripartite Council met in order to assess activities of the past year, listen to proposals regarding potential programs, and share the work of their respective settings. Each of the 24 settings of the network is invited to send a representative from P-12, the Arts and Sciences, and Colleges/Departments of Education to sit on this council. This year, over 60 members spent Wednesday evening and Thursday morning addressing a variety of issues including equity, partnerships abroad, and an online journal.
Ken Jones and Julie Caniff from the University of Southern Maine reported on their work related to equity. Entitled, Turning the Lens of Equity, this self-study presented a comprehensive inventory for curriculum, programs, practices, policies, and research and how issues of equity are embedded in each of these areas.
Later that evening, Tom Clark from iNet, International Networking for Educational Transformation, spoke to the council about his efforts in Great Britain with the Specialists Schools and Academies Trust. Previewing a subsequent general session presentation, Clark drew parallels between his work in England and that of the NNER. Highlighting commonalities in future challenges and opportunities, he concluded by suggesting more collaborative efforts between organizations.
John Anderson, former tripartite Arts and Science Chair, spoke briefly to the group about the benefits of an online journal. This would provide a forum for publications by NNER members that are easily accessible to the wider learning community. Several members agreed to further investigate the feasibility of this type of journal.
Finally, most of Thursday morning’s session was devoted to sharing draft setting reports. With three settings at each table, trios spent time presenting their respective reports, and encouraging peer feedback from critical friends. During this informal conversation, suggestions for future setting reports emerged. These include more time to circulate to additional settings in order to share information, and consideration given to brief outlines as opposed to narratives. In addition, several general conference suggestions included increased time for groups of like concerns to meet and share promising practices, less concurrent sessions, and the potential of advocacy roles related to No Child Left Behind.
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