Case studies
Huddle in the real world.
Urban Teachers Residency United
Urban Teacher Residencies across the U.S connect with Huddle.
Urban Teacher Residency United (UTRU), a national not-for-profit network of urban teacher preparation programs, uses Huddle to connect its 17 partners across the U.S. Thanks to Huddle, programs in 14 cities and 20 school districts can share best practice with colleagues, access training documents and case studies, and organize meetings. By providing and managing this support network, UTRU gives school districts, not-for-profit organizations and universities the assistance and vital resources they need to launch an effective Urban Teacher Residency (UTR).
"Gone are the days of 10 different document versions going back and forth via email."
- Diana Hagans, Finance and Operations Manager
Based on the medical residency model, UTRs provide prospective teachers with masters-level education as well as a year-long apprenticeship in a classroom so that they can gain hands-on experience. Originally set up in 2004 as an informal partnership between the nation's existing UTR programs in Boston, Chicago and Metro Denver, UTRU is now setting the standards for urban teacher preparation nationwide.
Approximately half of all public school teachers across the U.S. leave their positions because they are not ready to teach. By providing the practical learning and supportive community required, UTRU and its local programs are building a real movement for education reform from the ground up. Statistics show that 85 per cent of all UTR graduates stay in their schools beyond the crucial first three years, reducing the high teacher turnover rates that cost districts millions and leave students in the dark.
Expanding at a rate of four or five additional partnerships a year, UTRU was faced with the challenge of effectively communicating and disseminating information with its countrywide network. With just eight staff, dealing with an escalating amount of email traffic and inbound phone enquiries from current and potential partners was becoming increasingly time-consuming. Recognizing that traditional communication tools were no longer sufficient to provide the communities with the support and services required for ongoing professional development, UTRU deployed Huddle.
Diana Hagans, Finance and Operations Manager, UTRU, explains: "As the volume of partners grew, it became increasingly obvious that we needed to store our content in a central online environment and enable people to collaborate effectively. With a limited workforce, we needed a platform that was easy for our partners to navigate and find information for themselves. We looked at Basecamp and a few other options, but chose Huddle due to its great usability and customer service."
Using Huddle, UTRU staff can upload training documents into each partner's secure online workspace and meetings can be easily scheduled. A best practice library has also been built so that programs can share invaluable knowledge with each other.
To help partners get used to the culture change of avoiding email and phone calls and encourage user adoption, one person at each of the UTRs is trained to use Huddle. These team members then provide orientation for their colleagues.
Diana continues: "Gone are the days of 10 different document versions going back and forth via email. There has certainly been a significant reduction in the amount of time spent on the phone and sifting through inboxes!"
By moving its support network online, UTRU can continue to drive educational reform, expanding its services to more residencies across the U.S.
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