Thank you, George

At the heart of NASUP’s mission is a commitment to a shared vision of partnership that fosters trust and mutually beneficial relationships among individuals, schools and universities. As we celebrate NASUP’s 20th year anniversary of collaborative partnerships, it’s a time to reflect upon individuals that have supported us along the way. When I think about individuals that embody NASUP’s core tenets, one individual comes to mind, George Johnson, the founder and former president of Information Age Publishing (IAP). On behalf of NASUP and its members, we extend our deepest gratitude to George for providing a valuable platform for scholars to share their work.George has been a staunch advocate for educators since he began his publishing company three decades ago. He has always demonstrated a willingness to help developing scholars on their publication journey. Our partnership with IAP made it easy for the organization to disseminate important research and help foster meaningful academic conversations. In the world of higher education, many of us live with the “publish or perish” paradigm, and for many scholars dedicated to the work of professional development schools (PDS) partnerships and school–university collaborations, the opportunity to publish is essential to their career advancement. On the other hand, for our K-12 educators, the opportunity to publish can become a transformative, boundary-spanning opportunity to document and disseminate best practices or innovative models. In our SUPs, we have witnessed the growth of K-12 educators who move beyond the confines of the classroom to engage in scholarship with their university partners, and over the years, George has allowed IAP to provide a voice for K-12 practitioners to engage in scholarship alongside their university partners. As a publishing partner, IAP has been an important resource to share NASUP’s members’ research and showcase the powerful collaborative activities taking place in our school and university partnerships.Our history with George predates NASUP’s inception. In the early 2000s, George was approached by two professors from the University of Houston Downtown with a vision they had to edit a book showcasing PDS research. Both were members of AERA and felt the time was ripe to promote PDS scholarship. Out of this initial collaboration with IAP grew the first PDS Research series, which is now celebrating its 23rd year. George supported that series and welcomed other members from NASUP to put forth other series highlighting issues in teacher education and school-university practices. To date, IAP has published four book series and 10 books written by NASUP members. In 2019, George deepened his partnership with NASUP, becoming the designated publisher for the association and joining the publications committee to provide on-going technical assistance and insights about the world of publishing.When a more formal role was established for George on the committee, he described a vision for the association aligned to our goals. One of the association’s most pressing goals was to build a robust membership base. George thought NASUP should expand its reach and offer different products and services to NASUP members. He recommended that IAP should host a NASUP newsletter, develop a program to get more books to our membership and increase the current book series to encourage members’ scholarship. George envisioned NASUP as an association that truly fostered collaborative networks and provided an outlet for likeminded individuals to brainstorm new initiatives or solve problems of practice.In keeping a focus on elevating the status of NASUP within the field, George inspired the members of the Publications Committee and the NASUP Leadership Team to undertake a School-University Partnership handbook. Such an undertaking could advance NASUP as a leading organization and promote a global reach. As the idea for a handbook percolated among interested parties, George shared that NASUP needed a foundational staple for current members and new recruits to the field. He believed if we moved forward with the idea to create the handbook, it could become a signature publication for NASUP. The handbook would provide the foundation for understanding partnerships as well as the historical perspectives about SUPs during the past 20 years. It would also serve as a template for future inquiry and analysis. In 2021, several NASUP members undertook the task of writing an NASUP endorsed handbook; the Handbook of Research, Policy, and Practice in School-University Partnerships is scheduled for release in late spring, 2025.We value George and his ongoing commitment to support the NASUP community. NASUP’s contributions to the field of SUP scholarship has been made possible by George’s generosity.Thank you, George, for your vision, dedication and willingness to service NASUP for 20 + years.With appreciation,JoAnne Ferrara, Publications Committee Co-chair