A comparative analysis of SUP policy across the African diaspora: culturally sustaining teacher education in Ghana and the United States

Purpose This paper compares policy discourses on school–university partnerships (SUPs) and teacher education within the African diaspora, using the United States and Ghana as case studies. By examining these two nations, we explore how partnerships can sustain the development of educators who teach children of African descent across the African Diaspora. Design/methodology/approach We designed a seven-pillar conceptual framework for culturally sustaining teacher education, drawing on the literature and employed crosswalk and critical policy analysis as complementary analytic approaches to examine and compare policy. Findings The study's findings revealed six key themes: (a) re-centering identity and community, (b) reconstruction of curriculum and teacher agency, (c) partnering for justice-oriented outcomes, (d) localizing instruction, (e) bridging institutional divides in hybridized settings and (f) leveraging coaching and assessment. Originality/value By juxtaposing Black American and Ghanaian policy, this paper explores how to support teacher education, paying particular attention to how sociohistorical, political and economic factors shape SUP discourses in two nations. Ultimately, the paper examines relationships, gaps and challenges and offers implications for advancing the sustainability of partnerships in African diasporic contexts.