Glassboro’s Bowe School joins Professional Development School network in Rowan’s College of Education

In a move that will give Rowan University education professors the opportunity to work side by side with Glassboro teachers on a shared goal to improve educational outcomes for students, the borough’s Thomas E. Bowe School was officially dedicated as a Professional Development School (PDS) in Rowan’s College of Education during a ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

In a celebration that included Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand, College of Education Dean Monika Shealey and Associate Dean Lisa Vernon-Dotson, Superintendent Mark Silverstein, Board of Education President Pete Calvo, Principal Wanda Pichardo, and Mayor Leo McCabe, Bowe students proudly unfurled a 22-foot banner designating their school as a Rowan PDS.

“The goal of the Bowe School PDS is a simple one: Working, as one, to improve educational outcomes for Glassboro children,” Shealey said. “Together, we will work to ensure positive outcomes for all learners, particularly those who have been traditionally underserved.”

Through the PDS collaboration, a Rowan education professor will serve as a professor-in-residence at Bowe. Together with a school-based leadership team, she’ll work to facilitate professional development and research activities that support the priorities of the Bowe School and the Glassboro School District.

Additionally, beginning in the spring, a larger number of Rowan teaching and other professional candidates will be based at Bowe, where they will benefit from the education offered by the PDS partnership.

The partnership also means that Bowe joins a larger PDS Network facilitated by Rowan’s College of Education. The network promotes scholarship through local and national presentations and publications by Rowan faculty and PDS partner teachers.

Research is an important component of the partnership, noted Houshmand, adding that the University is known for applied, real-life research that has practical meaning in society. That is abundantly evident in the noble profession of teaching, Houshmand said, noting that professors and teachers will learn from each other through the PDS partnership for the benefit of the borough’s youngest learners.

Silverstein, himself an adjunct professor at Rowan, also lauded the collaboration. Bowe is Rowan’s seventh PDS. The PDS program has been in existence at Rowan for 16 years.

“With the support of the Board of Education, this is a monumental event in the vision of closer ties between the school district and our university neighbor,” Silverstein said. “The ultimate winners are Glassboro children, who will reap the benefits of increased academic success.”

Professional Development Schools “are characterized as the shining stars of school-university partnerships,” said Vernon-Dotson, who will work with new Rowan College of Education faculty member Maryl Randel at Bowe.

“They are successful because they are based on a commitment approach to school reform. They develop innovative working arrangements that increase teacher collegiality and their participation in school decision-making, ultimately improving the quality of instructional decision-making.”

Pichardo emphasized that the Bowe PDS had the full support of teachers and staff.

“Our staff sees this as a unique opportunity to develop and strengthen instruction while sharing skills and resources with our Rowan partners, and especially our pre-service teachers,” Pichardo said, adding that the partnership was approved by a unanimous vote of the school’s teachers.

“We will learn from each other and continue to improve our strategies and pedagogy.”

While Bowe is Rowan’s newest PDS partner, the University’s other PDS partners include Holly Glen Elementary School in Williamstown; Johnstone Elementary in Vineland; Hainesport Township School in Hainesport; and three schools in Bridgeton (West Avenue, Cherry Avenue, and Quarter Mile Lane). With a partnership that dates back to 1999, Holly Glen is the oldest Rowan PDS.

The College of Education will unveil new banners at each PDS during ceremonies this fall.