Huntley 158 to consider NIU partnership

Huntley Area District 158 is discussing strengthening its ties with Northern Illinois University through a formal partnership agreement.

For the past six months, the district and university have worked informally on developing the district’s medical academy. In addition, the two parties have collaborated on a project to enhance the experience for student-teachers.

At tonight’s special committee meeting, the district will consider an agreement that will take the ventures to the next level.

“In order for us to move forward on both of these important projects, Northern has requested that School District 158 enter into a formal agreement,” Superintendent John Burkey said in a memo to the board. “I am supportive of this agreement as it will also allow us to partner with Northern for other points of collaboration.”

Those include having NIU professors available to provide reviews of the district’s curriculum to ensure their students are college ready, access to research and data, as well as feedback from educators.

“We are preparing our students for post-high school and many go on to four year colleges,” Burkey said. “We want to make sure they are as prepared as possible and having a good relationship with a four-year school is a benefit.”

The partnership is also a boon for the university as it prepares its education students for the classroom, said Marilyn Bellert, associate director of the Center for P-20 Engagement. The center is a university initiative that provides education and training from preschool to graduate studies.

The university’s professional development school would provide yearlong student-teaching opportunities for college students instead of the usual eight-weeks to one semester.

“District 158 is a very high performing district that is a very desirable place for our students to get clinical experience and do their student teaching,” Bellert said.

The free partnership will be one of more than a dozen agreements the university has with other districts in the area, including Elgin Area School District U-46, Cambridge Lakes Charter School and Crystal Lake High School District 155.