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Marana board approves affiliation with Moreland University despite trustee concerns
Summary
The board approved an affiliation allowing Moreland University practicum student placements after administration confirmed the program’s ADE approval; one trustee questioned Moreland’s quality citing online reviews and the vote recorded as 4–1.
The Marana Unified School District governing board voted to approve an affiliation agreement with Moreland University to permit field placements of Moreland’s post-baccalaureate practicum students in district classrooms.
Miss Lynn Solana told the board that Moreland University is an ADE-approved post-baccalaureate program for candidates seeking teacher certification in Arizona and that the agreement and addendum were reviewed by district legal counsel. She said the affiliation would allow the district to host practicum student teachers from Moreland and that the district could terminate placements if a student placement proved problematic.
A trustee expressed reservations after researching online comments and said some graduates appeared "not impressed" with the program; the trustee asked whether affiliating with an online university could negatively affect the district’s reputation. Administration replied that Moreland is approved by ADE and reiterated that poor placements can be ended, citing precedent of terminating a school partnership when placements failed to meet district standards.
The board moved, seconded and approved the affiliation. The clerk recorded the vote in the meeting as 4–1 in favor. Administration noted it will monitor placements and bring back any issues for board review if they arise.
The agreement enables additional practicum opportunities for teacher candidates in Marana classrooms while preserving the district’s ability to end placements that do not meet expectations.
