Waterloo Community School District and the University of Northern Iowa
District–university partnerships require ongoing intentionality. After a period of stagnation, the Waterloo Community School District and the University of Northern Iowa made a deliberate decision to reset and strengthen their collaboration.
Recent learning at a national conference helped catalyze that shift. Insights and materials shared by Logan Rutten from the University of North Dakota provided both a framework and practical tools for thinking differently about clinical partnerships—moving from loosely connected placements to strategically aligned systems. The message was clear: strong partnerships require shared leadership, defined structures, and explicit alignment around outcomes.
Inspired by those models—and with strong encouragement and support from UNI Dean Mulholland—Waterloo and UNI committed to a bold structural solution: a jointly funded, shared leadership position designed to bring coherence and accountability to clinical practice.
A Strategic Investment in Alignment
The new Student Teacher & Clinical Practice Academy Coordinator will:
- Ensure high-quality student teacher placements across Waterloo schools
- Oversee and calibrate UNI onsite supervisors serving the district
- Develop structured professional learning for mentor teachers
- Launch and lead a Waterloo Clinical Practice Academy
- Strengthen recruitment pathways from student teaching into district employment
Operating under a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), this 9-month position will feature shared reporting and shared evaluation—embedding partnership into the governance structure itself.
Building a Sustainable Talent Pipeline
This initiative advances several district priorities:
✔ Improving the quality and consistency of clinical supervision
✔ Increasing mentor teacher capacity and leadership development
✔ Creating a sustainable “grow-your-own” educator pipeline
✔ Strengthening recruitment and retention
✔ Elevating Waterloo as a premier clinical training site
At its core, the work reflects a renewed commitment: clinical practice is not just about placements—it is about co-developing future educators.
A Model of Renewal
Rather than allowing a partnership to remain stagnant, Waterloo and UNI chose redesign. By learning from national examples, leveraging conference insights, and securing strong college leadership support, the institutions are building a more intentional, aligned, and sustainable model.
In a time of educator workforce challenges nationwide, this renewed collaboration demonstrates that thoughtful structural change can transform partnership from transactional to transformational.