In this paper, we offer an overview of the history and development of the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC). As a part of this overview, we describe challenges and dilemmas encountered during the founding years of this consortium. We also highlight particular benefits or sources of satisfaction we have realized in the course of pursuing this particular sort of university-school-district-community collaboration. We conclude by offering examples of our current studies, best practices we have come to prioritize during the past five years, and a brief statement of our future plans and visions.