Exemplary PK20 Boundary Spanner Award

Nominations for this award are now closed.

Check out this VIDEO for more information when submitting nominations.

2025 Award Winners

Daman Harris, Anne Arundel County Public Schools

“Dr. Harris is a leader in clinical preparation given his role as the Manager of Professional Development Schools and Institutions of Higher Education Partnerships for his school district. He collaborates with over a dozen university partners to ensure high quality clinical experiences for over 100 interns. As part of this collaboration, Dr. Harris provides helpful guidance and hands-on problem-solving with universities and schools. In addition, Dr. Harris serves as a committee member on several university Professional Development School councils and teacher education councils.

Dr. Harris is also the co-founder and co-director of Building Our Network of Diversity Project, which is a non-profit organization focused on recruitment, development, and retention of male educators of color to improve educational outcomes.

Nationally, Dr. Harris is at the forefront of antiracist education with the publication of his recent book, “The Antiracist School Leader: What to Know, Say, and Do”. Dr. Harris shares his research with NASUP leadership and members in various ways. He serves on the NASUP Antiracism Committee.

Dr. Harris’ research and advocacy for antiracism in education alongside his extensive leadership roles enables Dr. Harris to transcend institutional settings and exemplify boundary-spanning.” ~from the 2025 Awards Ceremony

Chris Kennedy, Ohio University

“As a dedicated advocate for the relationships between PK12 schools and educator preparation programs he has lived all aspects of the professional development school (PDS) model from his own teacher preparation in a PDS, to developing impactful programming as a school partner, to facilitating multiple PDS collaborations as a boundary spanning PDS faculty coordinator. Dr. Kennedy exemplifies what this recognition embodies through his leadership and impact in his school-university partnership work. Chris is currently the faculty coordinator for the school district where he once worked as a literacy specialist. Although his primary focus as the PDS faculty coordinator is supporting the early field teacher candidates and mentors, he has even taken on the university clinical educator role for the professional interns. As a longtime member of the association, as an educator who was prepared for his own classroom in a PDS, as an innovative professional who fully understood the power of these important relationships between PK12 schools and educator preparation programs to creatively build new structures that supported professional learning and teacher preparation, and as a longtime boundary spanner who has invested time, expertise, and care into creating new partnerships that positively impact PK12 student learning and teacher preparation.” ~from the 2025 Awards Ceremony

Meganlyn Norris & Shannon O’Donnell, Kutztown University & Schuylkill Valley Elementary School

“The last two PK20 Boundary Spanner award recipients will be announced together. These two people actually partner with each other in their boundary spanning partnership work. One represents the K12 system and the other represents the Higher Ed system. We are thrilled to announce that Shannon O’Donnell and Meganlyn Norris are our recipients and true partners in PK20 Boundary Spanning.

Dr. O’Donnell and Dr. Norris have a unique ability to bring people together. They’ve worked hand in hand to connect university research with classroom practices, creating opportunities for teachers to grow professionally and for university students to gain hands-on experience. Their efforts have led to real improvements in teaching and learning, bridging the gap between theory and practice in ways that benefit everyone involved.

Dr. O’Donnell is an outstanding principal who brings energy, vision, and unwavering support to her school. Dr. Norris, a wonderful professor, is a constant source of encouragement and insight. Together, they’ve been instrumental in the success of the Teacher Leadership Academy, a program where educators earn an instructional coaching endorsement and incorporate their new learnings immediately into daily practice. Their guidance and expertise have been crucial to this initiative, positively impacting teachers, students, and pre-service educators.

Through their inspiring leadership and shared vision, they have fostered a groundbreaking partnership between Schuylkill Valley Elementary School and Kutztown University, bridging the gap between K-12 and higher education.

Dr. Shannon O’Donnell and Dr. Meganlyn Norris exemplify the transformative power of collaboration in education, making them exceptional nominees for the NASUP Boundary Spanner award.” ~from the 2025 Awards Ceremony

Award Information

Background

This NASUP award recognizes an individual who is exemplary in meeting Essential 8 where the individual moves beyond the responsibilities of one’s job to impact a third space. Boundary spanners are situated in a “third space” between university and PK12 settings and are not bound solely by the traditions or responsibilities of any one institution. An exemplary PK20 boundary spanner innovates the systems or practices to enhance the learning of all of those involved in the partnership.

Eligibility

In order for a candidate to be considered eligible for this award, they must:

Be either a boundary-spanning university-based educator or PK12 school-based educator within a mutually beneficial partnership program
Be a member of NASUP at the time of the Annual Conference
Attend the annual conference during the year nominated
Receive a nomination from a member of NASUP

Criteria

Promoting exemplary practice through demonstrated leadership and impact. Candidates will be considered in light of their contributions in one or more areas, including:

Contributions to developing and enacting aspects of SUP practices which includes the NASUP 9 essentials within and/or beyond their organizations
Collaborative nature of the work benefits both the university and PK12 school through continuous improvement and connections to theory and practice
Deconstructing traditional power relationships through the support of and dialogue across contexts; work to understand roles and responsibilities across boundaries and relate to others across those boundaries
Engaging in practices to understand and interpret differing perspectives that lead to the creation and/or maintenance of mutually beneficial school-university partnerships

Nominations

Selection Process

NASUP members may nominate candidates by letter or email to the Awards Committee using this link.
All nominations and supporting materials must be submitted electronically to the NASUP Awards committee no later than January 6, 2025.
A sub-committee of the Awards Committee will review nominations using a simple rubric based on the eligibility conditions and criteria detailed above.
The winner(s) will be announced at the awards ceremony of the conference and publicized by press release to the honoree’s home institution and via the NASUP publications and website.

PK20 Boundary Spanner Awardees

2025

Daman Harris, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Chris Kennedy, Ohio University
Meganlyn Norris & Shannon O’Donnell, Kutztown University & Schuylkill Valley Elementary School

2024

Jenn Hatch Knight, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Drew Polly, Univesity of North Carolina at Charlotte

2023

Dawn Nowlin, Whitehall Elementary, part of Bowie State University PDS Network
Gina Dudkowski, South Buffalo Charter Schools, part of Buffalo State PDS Consortium
Dr. Kristien Zenkov, George Mason University
Dr. Elizabeth Hale, Tiger Academy, PDS School of University of North Florida