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Posted by:
Robert (Sandy) Goodlett
State admin/coordinator
Lawrenceburg, KY
Topic:
Administration and School Community
Message:
The simple answer to the question about the increased responsibility for a building principal who decides to build community partnerships is yes. Anything that is added to the work load of a principal will add responsibility. However, the principals that I know and admire understand the importantance of school/community partnerships in increasing the quality of the teaching and learning process regardless of the work involved.
In Kentucky when education was reformed in 1990, a key element in assisting in this critical element of school improvement was addressed through the Family Resource and Youth Services Centers. These Centers, phased in over the past 10 years in schools with a free school meal eligibility of 20% of enrollment, provided a school employed coordinator whose role was and is to assist in the engaging of the community in the school. The implementation evaluation of these Centers indicates that generally coordinators have been successful in this element of the program.
Unfortunately, most states and schools do not have such a coordinator. However, creative principals have been able to engage school staff or volunteers to assist in this endeavor. Often community leaders have been willing to provide assistance through released time of their employees or funds to assist in the employment of an individual to assist in the coordination of community involvement.
Most principals who have been successful in the implementatin of a community partnership will admit that in the beginning the partnership was additional and sometimes hard work. However, over time, they have found ways to shift the responsibility to someone else, and most will tell you that they are pleased with the benefits or their extra work.
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