In 1999, the Southern Illinois Schools University Partnership was born with the purpose of developing a series of professional development schools that would address the preparation of novice and experienced teachers, enhance Southern Illinois University Carbondale's teacher education program, and improve preK-12 student achievement. Being at the core of the partnership's birth and continued development has been one of the major highlights of this author's professional career. The author imagines that the promise, potential, and problems encountered by their collaborative partnership are similar to those faced by other partnerships. He believes that it is vital for effective school-university partnerships to, on a regular basis, reflect on where they have been, where they are, and where they would like to be in 5 years. The educational terrain shifts over time and, with it, so do the goals of schools and teacher education programs. Reflecting on local, state, and national contexts and responding accordingly will continue to provide energy and direction to school-university partnerships.