In 2020, as schools and workplaces across the country scrambled to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna McEwan, dean of Samford University’s Orlean Beeson School of Education, and Justin Hefner, EdS ’16, EdD ’18, superintendent of Homewood City Schools, both stepped into their leadership roles mid-crisis.
“It was a challenging time, for the field of education in particular, and Justin and I were both taking on leadership roles during all of that chaos,” McEwan said. “But the two of us sat down over coffee at O’Henry’s and decided the most important thing we could do was embrace each other as neighbors.”
That conversation led to a strong partnership and, since then, several initiatives have connected Samford’s School of Education with Homewood City Schools to support students and the community.
“Homewood City Schools values this relationship and partnership very much,” Hefner said. “We are proud of our employees who have graduated from Samford and see their incredible contributions daily. It’s our belief that we’re stronger together than apart, and we continue to invest in relationships and extended partnerships with our ‘hometown’ university and are grateful for their continued support.”
Hands-On Experience for Future Educators
“Homewood’s willingness to open their doors to our students is a key factor in our teacher education program’s success and national recognition from the Association of Teacher Educators,” said McEwan.
In 2025, Samford’s school of education received the Billy G. Dixon Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award which recognizes exceptional teacher education programs that demonstrate excellence in preparing future educators.
Students majoring in secondary education have the opportunity to collaborate with Homewood Middle School, through an immersive partnership model that provides mutual benefits for aspiring educators and middle school teachers and students.
“We strive to serve the school community and learn from them,” said Jane-Marie Marlin, faculty instructor at Orlean Beeson School of Education. “Our students become fully integrated into the school environment, learning not just about teaching, but about all aspects of education and school culture.”
Additionally, sophomore education majors enrolled in an integrated arts course, are completing field placements at Edgewood Elementary, Shades Cahaba Elementary and Hall-Kent Elementary.
“One of their weekly assignments is to read children’s literature to students in their placement classrooms,” said Kate Scarborough, assistant professor of teacher education. “Each book was chosen for its strong character themes, and our senior students designed discussion questions about character traits for the sophomores to ask while reading.”
These reading assignments do more than provide aspiring educators with classroom experience—they also reinforce character education within the community.
Character Education: A Shared Mission
According to the U.S. Department of Education, character education is a shared responsibility between parents, teachers and the community, helping students and adults develop ethical values and social responsibility.
Orlean Beeson School of Education incorporates character education into every program and collaborates with local school systems to share best practices, recognizing its transformative impact on school culture and the broader community.
One of the school’s most notable initiatives is Coaches for Character, a professional development program for P-12 athletic coaches across central Alabama. Created by alumna Laura Casey ’23, assistant athletic director at Vestavia Hills High School, in partnership with McEwan, this year the program was expanded to purposefully include coaches from Homewood City Schools in the professional development opportunity.
“Character education is foundational to developing healthy and whole adults who, in turn, create healthy and whole communities,” McEwan said. “We integrate this teaching into our curriculum and outreach endeavors like Coaches for Character because we believe it produces better graduates and serves our neighbors in a way that is uniquely Samford.”
Supporting School Leadership
Bill Cleveland, who served as Homewood City Schools’ superintendent for 12 years before retiring in 2020, is another key figure in strengthening educational leadership. After more than 30 years in public education, Cleveland now serves as an assistant professor in Samford’s Department of Educational Leadership.
Cleveland teaches graduate-level courses, serves on dissertation committees, conducts research and builds relationships with school superintendents and educators. It is the latter of these responsibilities for which Cleveland is most passionate. He recently published So,You Want to Be a School Superintendent? a guide to leadership in the complex field of education. His book is meant to be primarily an encouragement to school leaders, like Hefner, his friend and long-time mentee.
Cleveland’s passion for supporting school leadership inspired Orlean Beeson School of Education’s involvement in Edgewood Elementary’s spring festival, the school’s largest annual fundraiser and a key community event.
“Each elementary school in Homewood has one fundraiser a year. These are big community events where administration, faculty, parents and local residents come together,” Cleveland said.
A Call to Serve
The Samford community is invited to join Orlean Beeson School of Education students, faculty, staff and alumni in serving at Edgewood Elementary’s spring festival. Volunteers will assist with everything from taking out the trash and restocking food stalls to directing traffic and helping guests.
“We want to say thank you to our community,” Cleveland said. “But more than that, we want to model good character and service to others because we believe in this work.”
Those interested in volunteering on April 12 from 3-7 p.m. at Edgewood Elementary’s spring festival can contact Bill Cleveland at wtclevel@samford.edu.
