The Role of the School Leader in Professional Experience School–University Partnership Models

School–university partnerships are often advocated by policy and research to address perceived problems within the professional experience component of initial teacher education (ITE) programs. Research has shown that a key characteristic of successful school–university partnerships is the importance of clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders. To date, the literature has focused on the roles and responsibilities of pre-service teachers, mentor/supervising teachers, and the university liaison. The role of the school leaders, such as principals, deputy/assistant principals, and those in senior roles, is absent from the discussion. This chapter draws on semi-structured interviews with two school leaders about their experiences in a long-term school–university professional experience partnership. Findings suggest that school leaders place considerable value on these partnerships and that this value shifts over time. Trust, mutual commitment, funding, and hybrid roles that facilitate the partnership were important to their ongoing success and sustainability. The research highlights the importance school leaders have in beginning and sustaining school–university partnerships, and the integral part they can play in ITE.