We approach partnership differently from most teacher education programs. Because our students develop their knowledge and skills in the field, we work with many partner sites to support student learning in ways that are unique to each site’s strengths and specializations. Through targeted and intentional partnerships, we match the needs of each term and licensure area with settings that are uniquely suited to support our students’ learning. A lead faculty member organizes the learning experiences within a given semester, supporting instructors across sites, and faculty travel with our student to teach at school and community sites.

We emphasize partnership over placement.Interested in partnering with our teacher education programs? Contact Dr. Vesna Cejovic, our Coordinator of School and Community Partnerships at vcejovi@luc.edu

Misericordia Home
As part of a family engagement assignment, Early Childhood/Special Education majors plan and lead Tina’s Playgroup, a monthly interactive playgroup for children with disabilities aged birth to 7. Siblings and parents/caregivers also participate. Our candidates gain valuable experience in adult-child interaction and teaching, as they lead indoor and outdoor child-centered activities. They are also provided a rare opportunity to develop relationships with parents of children with disabilities outside the system of school-based special education services. Misericordia Home benefits from the structured activities and supervision made possible by our faculty and students, which also make larger and more differentiated groups possible.

Middleton Elementary School partnership supporting Sequence 5
Middleton Elementary School in Evanston, IL supports the preparation of Elementary Education majors (including those seeking the Reading Teacher endorsement) by regularly hosting a section of Sequence 5 juniors in their classrooms. In addition to the benefit of hosting our students and faculty at the school, Middleton teachers gain access to targeted professional development on inclusive children’s books, as well as access to some of these texts. Faculty have also served on school committees.

CITE brings School of Education faculty and staff together with partners from Chicago museums and cultural institutions. This leadership group supports learning experiences for School of Education teacher candidates across all program areas, as well as engaging in ongoing research about the group and its multifaceted efforts to connect educators with the mission, resources and supports our rich cultural institutions provide.

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With dual support from the Department of Fine & Performing Arts (DFPA) in the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), our School of Education has developed a prestigious institutional partnership with CPS to provide a pathway to education licensure in Illinois that specifically addresses areas of need in public schools focused on the arts and physical education.  Given the existing need to prepare greater numbers of dance, theatre, art, language and physical education teachers to meet basic requirements in public schools, as well as the anticipation that this need will increase considerably in the coming years, the program offers a unique path toward attaining licensure and bringing qualified candidates one step closer to making their impact as educators. The program offers discounted tuition and a stipend for practicing educators.  Candidates graduate with an MEd in Elementary Education as well as an endorsement in their chosen area of concentration (Dance, Theatre or Physical Education) and English as a Second Language (ESL).