The Southern Maine Partnership (SMP) is a school-university collaboration that has linked schools and university in support of student learners since 1985. The Partnership has grown from a group of six school districts to a membership of 36 school districts, 2 private schools, and the University of Southern Maine (USM). Our membership represents over one-third of the public school students and teachers in the state and the major teacher education and leadership development university in the region.
Mission
The Southern Maine Partnership strives to support the development of schools that fulfill the promise of public education through promoting equity for all learners now and in the future. The Partnership has local and national ties serving as a regional center of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) and a member of the National Education Association (NEA). Current work centers on issues of equity, rigor, and personalization in classrooms, schools, and communities. Through networking, applied assistance, and research and dissemination, the SMP assists schools in fulfilling the promise of public education: to educate all students well and to prepare them for futures of promise.