School-University Partnerships
We recognize the good work of the teachers in schools mentoring and coaching ODU teacher candidates. Read about our award recipients.
Partner Schools
Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
In partnership with students, families, and community, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood will inspire in its students a lifelong passion for learning in a global society. With a commitment to academic excellence and personal integrity, students will demonstrate independent and reflective thinking, creativity, as well as a sense of social responsibility and intercultural understanding.
- ADL is a fully authorized IB World School offering the Middle Years Programme in grades 6 through 8.
- ADL also specializes in Project Based Learning at grades 3 through 5.
- Future Problem Solving is offered to both elementary and middle school students as a morning activity. All 6th graders take FPS as a course as well. ADL has had a state champion team or individual for the last four years at the Virginia State Bowl.
- ADL Athletics Program won the Superintendent's Cup in 2018 for the best Middle School Athletics Program.
- MonarchTeach
- Site-based teaching
- TLED 360: Classroom Management and Discipline
- TLED 432/532: Developing Instructional Strategies PreK-6: Language Arts
- TLED 435/535: Developing Instructional Strategies PreK-6: Social Studies
- Observation placements
- Practicum placements
- Student teaching placements
HOLLY CAPRIO
Grades 4 & 5 Elementary
Autism Self-Contained
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students
Terri Gayer
Grades 6 & 8 Theater
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Areas of Expertise: Performance-based learning, adapting curriculum for students with special abilities, curriculum development
Alyshia Hicks
Grades 7 & 8 Visual Arts
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students,Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Areas of Expertise: digital art, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, project-based learning
Holly Holm
Grades 7 & 8
Language & Literature
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Area of Expertise: International Baccalaureate
Jessica Huntoon
Grades 6 Social Studies
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Areas of Expertise: International Baccalaureate , project-based learning, unit planning-Understanding by Design, student-centered instruction
Latoya Rivers
Grades 3-8
Gifted Resource Teacher
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Area of Expertise: International Baccalaureate
Analisa Santillan
Grades 7
Science & Instructional Technology
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Areas of Expertise: Project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, instructional technology
Blair Middle School
Welcome to Blair Middle School, where academic rigor is a tradition. The Blair Middle School community is strong because our caring and dedicated staff focuses on family engagement, positive relationships, and mutual trust. We are committed to school-wide literacy through the use of instructional technology in preparation for our global society. Our school is focused on fostering a culture of high expectations and mutual respect for our students, staff, families, and greater community. We are prepared to show respect to ourselves and others, have integrity in all we do, and put forth our best effort every day.
Rita Bell
Grades 7
Language Arts Collaborative
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students
Joshua E. Brooks, Jr.
Grades 6 Dean of Students
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation & Student Teaching;
Areas of Expertise:Building Relationships
Catrina Cuffee
Grades 8 Special Education
Collaborative English, Language Arts
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation, Practicum, Student Teaching;
Areas of Expertise: Specially Designed Instruction, Differentiation, Collaborative Teaching, Case Management, IEP Development, Data Collection
Mrs. Allison Hazzard
Grades 6
Sciences
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students,Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns Areas of Expertise: Quality questioning and incorporating culturally relevant material
Kimberly Jackson
Grades 7
Science
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation, Practicum
Christi Johnson
Grades 8
Math
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation and Student Teaching;
Areas of Expertise: Team Building
Jason Lesseigne
Grades 8
Math
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation, Practicum, Student Teaching; Areas of Expertise: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Areas of Expertise: Quality questioning and incorporating culturally relevant material
Kristen McClung
Grades 7
English Language Arts
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns
Areas of Expertise: struggling readers, lesson planning, classroom management
Armani Parker
Grades 8
Environmental, Life & Physical Science
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students and Student Teaching Interns
Areas of Expertise: incorporating culturally relevant pedagogy in curriculum and adapting curriculum for students with special abilities
Jessica Staub
Grades 8
Special Education, Math
Clinical Faculty Experience: Practicum Students and Student Teaching Interns
Areas of Expertise:specially designed instruction
Suzanne Tate
Grades 8
English, Language Arts
Clinical Faculty Experience: Student Teaching Interns
Areas of Expertise:coaching, essay writing
Tomisha Adkisson
Grades 8
Special Education, Social Studies
Clinical Faculty Experience: Practicum, Student Teaching; Areas of Expertise: Specially Designed Instruction
Leslie Kempschmidt
Grades 8
Earth Science
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation Students, Practicum Students, and Student Teaching Interns
Areas of Expertise: STEM practices, Blair’s Learning Garden, Kagan Strategies
Karen Krepper
Grades 6
Math
Clinical Faculty Experience: Student Teaching
Areas of Expertise: Teacher Mentoring
Ingleside Elementary School
Ingleside Elementary School is a Title I school serving approximately 540 students. Our students range in grades from three year old prekindergarten to fifth grade. We are a fully accredited school and offer both enrichment and remediation programs to meet our students' needs.
- Site-based teaching
- TLED 468/568: Language Acquisition and Reading for Students with Diverse Learning Needs
- TLED 478/578: Integrating Instruction Across the Curriculum PreK-6
- Tutoring
Larchmont Elementary School
Larchmont Elementary is a safe, secure and vibrant environment where students are respected, valued, and appreciated for their individual diversity. All stakeholders will be faced with expectations for success and productivity while they are simultaneously challenged and nurtured. Larchmont continually strives to produce citizens who are confident, powerfully literate, and life-long learners.
- Larchmont has received the Governor's award of Excellence and/or Distinguished School Award every year since 2009.
- The school's PTA has received the National PTA Award of Excellence for the past 6 years.
- Model Level School with the Elizabeth River Project.
- Founding Chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society 2008 - 2018.
- MonarchTeach
- Volunteering
- Observation placements
- Practicum placements
Southside STEM at Campostella
At Southside STEM Academy at Campostella, we focus on problem and project-based learning, particularly in engineering, to enhance early scholar engagement and awareness in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Our goal is to equip scholars with the 21st-century skills necessary to succeed in a globally competitive workforce. This approach involves dedicated teachers who work to elevate their scholars from minimum to maximum potential. Our school prioritizes in creating an environment where scholars can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We provide strategies that help them develop skills to build healthy relationships through engaging in discourse. Additionally, we promote responsible decision-making by implementing an accountability system which supports scholars in managing and modeling appropriate behaviors using our “Cardinal Rise” PBIS framework. Equally important, at Southside STEM Academy at Campostella, our scholars are valued and encouraged to develop their unique abilities.
Destiny Shirley
Grade 4 Math
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation and Practicum
Jacqueline Ludy
Elementary STEM Specialist
Clinical Faculty Experience: Observation and Practicum
Reciprocal Professional Development
Reciprocal professional development is central to healthy and growing school-university partnerships. Over the years, the School-University Partnership Committee has benefitted from reciprocal professional development on the topics below presented by experts from Norfolk Public Schools and žž.
Seongryeong Yu
Seongryeong Yu is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at žž. Her research explores young children’s language and literacy practices across cultural and geographic contexts, with a focus on how children make meaning, express identities, and build belonging through their interactions with texts, materials, and space. Her work aims to inform inclusive literacy instruction that honors children's diverse linguistic repertoires.
Jihea Maddamsetti
My name is Jihea Maddamsetti, and I am an Associate Professor of Elementary Education at žž. I hold a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education from Michigan State University, specializing in Language and Literacy. My research and teaching focus on bi-/multilingual learners, equitable language and literacy instruction, and the intersections of critical language theory with evidence-based reading practices. Integrating the Science of Reading with sociocultural approaches, I help educators design rigorous, responsive literacy instruction that values students’ linguistic and cultural resources. Through university-school partnerships at ODU, I emphasize bridging structured literacy with critical, inclusive pedagogies.
Joshua Brooks
Hailing from The Bronx, NY, Mr.Brooksis a dynamic urban educational leader! The son of Jamaican immigrants, Mr.Brooksis skilled in classroom management, equity building, social, emotional support, lesson planning, instructional design, research, relationship building, and community outreach. Mr.Brookshas a B.A. degree in African - American Studies and English from the University of Buffalo,a Master of Arts degree in clinically Based English Education from New York University, and an Educational Specialist Leadership degree with a specialization in Administration and Supervision from žž.
Jody Sommerfeldt
Jody Sommerfeldt is a Master Lecturer in the Teaching & Learning Department at žž. She is passionate about preparing future-ready teachers and innovative practice as a way to build more successful and inclusive classrooms, and supporting partnerships with PK-12 school divisions. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of William & Mary, along with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Technology and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration at ODU.
Kate White
KateWhiteis a middle school math teacher with Norfolk Public Schools at Blair Middle School. She has work experience with early childhood education, elementary education, middle school math and assists students up to the collegiate level in multiple subjects. She is a graduate of James Madison University with a Master's degreein the Art of Education and continues to research up to date strategies on how to teach the diverse community she works with.
Kristy Carlisle
Dr. KristyCarlisleis an Associate Professor in žž’s (ODU) Counseling and Human Services Department where she is the Human Services Program Director and the Chief Editor ofJournal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration. She has work experience asa PK-12 teacher, school counselor, mental health counselor, and case manager/supervisor;and she has served child, adolescent, and adult populations in school, inpatient residential, and community mental health settings. Her research interests include addictions & addictions education, crisis & trauma education, and interprofessional collaboration & education (IPC/IPE).
Seongryeong Yu
Seongryeong Yu is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at žž. Her research explores young children’s language and literacy practices across cultural and geographic contexts, with a focus on how children make meaning, express identities, and build belonging through their interactions with texts, materials, and space. Her work aims to inform inclusive literacy instruction that honors children's diverse linguistic repertoires.
Jihea Maddamsetti
My name is Jihea Maddamsetti, and I am an Associate Professor of Elementary Education at žž. I hold a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education from Michigan State University, specializing in Language and Literacy. My research and teaching focus on bi-/multilingual learners, equitable language and literacy instruction, and the intersections of critical language theory with evidence-based reading practices. Integrating the Science of Reading with sociocultural approaches, I help educators design rigorous, responsive literacy instruction that values students’ linguistic and cultural resources. Through university-school partnerships at ODU, I emphasize bridging structured literacy with critical, inclusive pedagogies.
Joshua Brooks
Hailing from The Bronx, NY, Mr.Brooksis a dynamic urban educational leader! The son of Jamaican immigrants, Mr.Brooksis skilled in classroom management, equity building, social, emotional support, lesson planning, instructional design, research, relationship building, and community outreach. Mr.Brookshas a B.A. degree in African - American Studies and English from the University of Buffalo,a Master of Arts degree in clinically Based English Education from New York University, and an Educational Specialist Leadership degree with a specialization in Administration and Supervision from žž.
Jody Sommerfeldt
Jody Sommerfeldt is a Master Lecturer in the Teaching & Learning Department at žž. She is passionate about preparing future-ready teachers and innovative practice as a way to build more successful and inclusive classrooms, and supporting partnerships with PK-12 school divisions. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of William & Mary, along with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Technology and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration at ODU.
Kate White
KateWhiteis a middle school math teacher with Norfolk Public Schools at Blair Middle School. She has work experience with early childhood education, elementary education, middle school math and assists students up to the collegiate level in multiple subjects. She is a graduate of James Madison University with a Master's degreein the Art of Education and continues to research up to date strategies on how to teach the diverse community she works with.
Kristy Carlisle
Dr. KristyCarlisleis an Associate Professor in žž’s (ODU) Counseling and Human Services Department where she is the Human Services Program Director and the Chief Editor ofJournal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration. She has work experience asa PK-12 teacher, school counselor, mental health counselor, and case manager/supervisor;and she has served child, adolescent, and adult populations in school, inpatient residential, and community mental health settings. Her research interests include addictions & addictions education, crisis & trauma education, and interprofessional collaboration & education (IPC/IPE).