At the heart of the URBE 5516 School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings course at Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development is a partnership that reflects the very principles it teaches. 

Associate Professor of Instruction Lori A. Shorr and Community Scholar in Residence Sylvia P. Simms each bring different forms of expertise into the classroom, blending academic research with lived community experience to co-design a course that challenges students to think and rethink how they engage with urban communities. 

“One of the values in our master of education in urban education and policy program is that urban education needs to be rooted in the communities that the schools sit in,” Shorr said. “This course is where we talk about the research that says why that’s important, and then actually how to do that well.” 

That balance between theory and practice is not incidental. It is the result of an intentional collaboration shaped by years of shared work and trust. 

Shorr and Simms first connected more than two decades ago through education work in Philadelphia. Their relationship deepened over time, particularly when Shorr, then chief education officer for the City of Philadelphia, recommended Simms to serve on the School Reform Commission, where they worked closely together. What began as a professional connection evolved into a long-term partnership. 

“I asked her to come in as a speaker for the course,” Shorr said. “Then I asked her to come in more often. And then I realized I would love to have her there every week.” 

Simms did not hesitate. “If Lori asks me to do something, I’m going to support her,” she said. 

Simms brings a grassroots perspective shaped by lived experience, including a nontraditional educational journey that informs how she teaches and connects with students. 

“I dropped out of high school and was originally supposed to graduate in 1978, but life took me in a different direction,” Simms said. “After having my daughter, I eventually went back and earned my diploma in 1981. I never imagined I would become an instructor, so I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.” 

Her path into advocacy began while working as a bus attendant for the School District of Philadelphia, where she witnessed inequities affecting students with disabilities and felt compelled to speak up. 

“When things weren’t right, I advocated, even when it got me in trouble,” she said. “People are often afraid of change, especially when you challenge the norm. I was written up and even pushed out of my school at one point. Later, as a commissioner, I faced similar pushback when making difficult decisions, but I’ve always believed in standing up for what’s right.” 

That experience led to broader community work, including founding The E.A.R.T.H.S. / PARENT POWER, an organization to support low-income grandparents and homeless families navigating the education system. Today, those experiences shape how she approaches the classroom. 

“My role is to educate, empower and engage the students, and keep it real,” Simms said. 

Shorr approaches the course from a research and policy perspective, and she sees Simms’s contributions as essential to bridging the gap between theory and practice. 

“Sylvia sees and talks about things the way she knows it, and I talk about it from a research and real-life policymaking lens,” Shorr said. “It makes it unique and special, not only for us, but for the students also.” 

That dynamic shapes how the course is co-designed. Students do not just study urban education. They engage directly with community partners through hands-on projects that require them to build relationships and reflect on their own assumptions. 

“A big part of the class is the community project, where students are paired in groups with a community organization for the semester to work on a tangible project with meaningful impact,” Shorr said. “Through the process, they have to reflect on what they bring to that work, their assumptions about community, their own identities. If your presumptions are unexamined, you’re going to act out of them.”

Simms emphasizes that the partnerships are mutually beneficial. 

“It’s a win-win, not only for the students, but for the nonprofits they partner with,” she said. “Sometimes students get hired. But more importantly, you build relationships.” 

The curriculum co-design process itself reflects an ongoing balance between structure and flexibility. Shorr often pushes to incorporate more research, while Simms prioritizes time for relationship-building and applied work. 

“This is one of the central tensions of our class,” Shorr said. “I always have a million theoretical articles I want us to read.” 

Simms sees that balance as part of what makes the course effective. “We always compromise, and it plays out,” she said. “By the end of the class, everything comes out great.” 

Students are encouraged to sit with uncertainty, particularly early in the semester when progress can feel slow. 

“Students can feel like they hit a wall,” Shorr said. “They think nothing’s going to get done. But it’s a really important moment to talk about how community work actually takes longer than you think. It’s about trust and relationships.” 

Simms reassures them based on experience. “It happens in every class,” she said. “But by the end, everything works out.” 

The course also incorporates reflective practices such as public narrative, helping students connect their personal motivations to their professional goals. “They think about why they’re doing this work and how to communicate that to others,” Shorr said. “That’s a really important skill set for advocacy.” 

The course's partnership models the kind of collaboration that Shorr and Simms hope students will carry into their careers. 

“Even if you read all the research, there’s some expertise that you still don’t have access to unless you create opportunities to talk to people in the communities that you’re serving,” Shorr said. 

Simms puts it simply. “Listen to the people,” she said. “Don’t judge. Treat people the way they want to be treated.” 

In a course built on shared leadership and mutual respect, their message is clear. Effective education starts with relationships, and those relationships begin with understanding.