EMU works closely with cooperating schools and teachers. The education department at EMU has collaborative relationships with area public and private schools for field experience assignments, research, and service projects. In addition, the EMU Early Learning Center located at nearby Park View Mennonite Church provides quality laboratory experiences. On occasion, accredited private and public schools in selected stateside and international settings have been used for student teaching assignments.
The Mid-Valley Consortium for Teacher Education, a clinical faculty program, is a partnership with EMU, Bridgewater College, Mary Baldwin College, James Madison University, and the public school divisions of Augusta, Harrisonburg, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Staunton, and Waynesboro.
A goal of the Clinical Faculty Program is to establish teams consisting of a university consultant, clinical faculty, and a student teacher, which focus on agreed-upon objectives, teaching techniques, and evaluative criteria.
While the department values all of its relationships with area schools, several have been selected for specific partnerships. Broadway High, Spotswood High, Skyline Middle, and Thomas Harrison Middle Schools provide placements for EMU's secondary programs while Plains Elementary and John C. Myers Elementary Schools serve as centers for the PreK-3 and PreK-6 programs. Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City elementary schools partner with the department for the special education program. Harrisonburg City elementary schools partner with the department in literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Additionally the department promotes events such as "Young Authors" in partnership with the Shenandoah Valley Reading Council.