FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Association for School-University Partnerships (NASUP) Announces New Officers
WASHINGTON, DC, September 3, 2024
The National Association for School-University Partnerships (NASUP) is pleased to announce the induction of new officers who officially began their terms on July 1, 2024. These additions to NASUP’s leadership team, elected by the association’s members in the Spring of 2024, are set to advance the association’s mission to advance “the education profession by providing leadership, advocacy, and support to create and sustain school-university partnerships such as Professional Development Schools to function as learning communities to improve student learning, prepare educators through clinical practice, engage in reciprocal professional learning, and conduct shared inquiry.”
Dr. Nicole Wall, Professional Learning Supervisor for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, has begun her term as President of NASUP. Chosen in Spring 2023 as President Elect, Dr. Wall brings a robust background in fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous growth and excellence among teachers and staff. She works to ensure all professional learning opportunities are accessible and meet the diverse needs of her district’s staff. Dr. Wall works closely with university partners regarding intern placement and professional learning for both the university student and mentor teacher. She further works to ensure new teachers are well-prepared, supported, and retained through induction programs and mentorship by experienced educators. Dr. Wall is indeed a key public education professional in the trenches supporting NASUP’s mission.
Dr. Jennifer Jacobs of the University of South Florida assumes the role of President Elect. Dr. Jacobs is an Associate Professor in Elementary and Teacher Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Additionally, she serves as the Director of the Office of Clinical Education for the USF College of Education where her focus is on developing partnerships, placements, program coherence, and programmatic evaluation and research across teacher preparation programs. Her research is situated within the context of teacher education and focuses on teacher learning centered on equity. Central to her work is developing high-quality teacher education programs within partnerships between schools and universities. Prior to serving as President Elect, she served as NASUP’s membership committee chair.
Dr. Melissa A. Baker of the University of South Carolina Beaufort is serving a second term as Secretary. She works with school-university partnership (SUP) networks to help define, develop, and refine their networks. Dr. Baker seeks to strengthen SUP research that centers on teacher preparation, recruitment, induction, and retention. She has leveraged multiple U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership grants and a Spencer Foundation grant to strengthen preparation, recruitment, induction, and retention across rural and urban SUP districts.
Dr. Daman Harris from Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is the newest at-large Board Member. Dr. Harris’s background in public school systems will be invaluable in guiding NASUP’s strategic direction and enhancing its impact on school-university partnerships. In his home district, Dr. Harris is the Senior Manager for Educator Advancement and Institutions of Higher Education Partnerships, through which he oversees school-university partnership programs related to teacher preparation and professional learning for current educators. Dr. Harris is the author of The Antiracist School Leader: What to Know, Say, and Do.
The new officers have already begun their work advancing NASUP’s mission. The association expresses its sincere gratitude to the all elected officers and committee chairs, and looks forward to a productive year!
For more information about NASUP and its initiatives, please visit nasup.org or email info@napds.org
National Association for School-University Partnerships
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #190-611
Washington, DC 20004