As public education in Michigan looks for innovative ways to educate our students, Avondale is taking a leadership role with its Avondale/Oakland University Partnership, which encompasses a spectrum of educational and community-focused services offered to students and district families.

The Avondale Oakland University Partnership School, housed at Auburn Elementary and operated by the Avondale School District, began in Sept. 2013. Blending Avondale’s teacher leadership and classroom expertise with the progressive approach of Oakland University’s (OU) School of Education and Human Services, the partnership school brings a new learning experience to elementary education, serving students grades K-5 and providing a canvas where new models of teaching, teacher preparation and teacher leadership can be sketched, revised and transformed. 

An in-district school of choice, the partnership school draws students from across the district from varying socio-economic groups, creating a diverse and multi-culture population. It provides opportunities for Avondale teachers to implement current best practices and investigate and implement new research based practices in tandem with OU education faculty and student teachers.

“As we approach completion of the second full year of the Avondale/OU partnership, we continue to see the benefits of our alignment,” Avondale Superintendent Dr. James Schwarz said. “Anecdotally, there are success stories ranging from the creation of an outdoor classroom to Auburn’s teachers being invited to share their work in professional learning with the U.S. Department of Education. As we enter our third year in 2015-2016, we will have standardized test information that can gauge our success in student learning improvements on a more formal basis.” 

Auburn Elementary Teacher Leader Marcia Hudson, who coordinates and leads the efforts of the Avondale/OU partnership on a day-to-day basis, says the partnership was originally envisioned as broadening out to other schools and school services in the district, and that has already come to fruition. 

“The Avondale/Oakland University partnership provides services to Avondale students and families through OU’s William Beaumont School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Arts and Sciences, and OU’s SEHS Counseling Department,” Hudson said. “We had medical students assisting with team projects at Avondale High School’s biology classes, a health fair to administer the flu vaccine to community members and an ESL Camp experience in 2014 that provided language learning and support for over one hundred students, K-12, during the summer months.” 

Additionally, the Art Education department at Avondale partnered with the future Art Educators at the university last spring to design a community service project, Empty Bowls. Together, they were able to raise more than $750 for Gleaner’s Food Bank. 

Dr. Schwarz looks to the future of the partnership.

“Ultimately, we see the partnership creating a community oriented approach to K-12 education to meet the needs of diverse learners, create leaders and problem-solvers, foster critical thinking, and support not just the whole child, but the whole family,” Dr. Schwarz said. “In this way, we have the opportunity to maximize the success of all children in the district.”