The University of West Florida (UWF) School of Education will expand its Partnership for Professional Innovation program to include Ferry Pass Elementary this month. The program places student interns in partnering Escambia County schools for an entire school year, expanding the future teachers’ learning experience through mentoring with current teachers in a real classroom setting.
“The purpose of this partnership is to identify, develop, implement and replicate innovative teaching practices,†said Bill Evans, director of the UWF School of Education.
The partnership with Ferry Pass Elementary launches at a signing ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 9 a.m. at Ferry Pass Elementary School.
The UWF School of Education and Ferry Pass Elementary School will work together to develop and deliver effective educational and social programs, including programs for parents. UWF will provide a project coordinator on site to work closely with the principal and school partnership team. Linda Manning will be the project coordinator at Ferry Pass.
The programs’ first partnership began in August at Brentwood Elementary School and is now being replicated at Ferry Pass Elementary.
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UWF is stepping up in their involvement. Ferry Pass needs their help much more than Brentwood. Ferry Pass has been a C school for much of the past five years. Under the state’s grading system, the school is ranked 28th among the district’s 33 elementary schools. Seventy-five percent of the students get free or reduced lunches, 51% are minorities.
Brentwood is a B school, ranks 20th in the district and has a higher free/reduced percentage (86%) and more minorities (65%).