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THE PRACTICE: The Community - Schools cannot succeed as independent "islands" within their communities. Agencies, organizations, and individuals in the community can offer powerful support in the setting of school goals and program implementation.
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Content Presented By:
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RMC Research Corporation
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What is it?
Truly successful schools extend invitations to the community to participate and keep the community fully informed on school activities, progress, and performance. Participation can involve the sharing of experience from other contexts (commercial, service agency work), the exchange of ideas and information, connections to critical financial and material resources, valuable perspectives that can inform school mission and goals, and the reinforcement of the critical notion that the school and community are working toward common objectives.
Keeping the community fully informed about what is happening at the school leads to a sense of openness and honesty, illustrates the achievements of the school and the challenges which lie ahead, and builds support for annual budgets and new initiatives. A primary reason for schools to invest in creating community partnerships is to build the capacity of others to support the school and to nurture potential leaders.
Questions to Think About:
- What partners has the school invited "to the table" to participate in essential school matters? Who is missing?
- How does the school support community partners as they commit to supporting the school? How do each of the partners contribute? How do they benefit in return?
- What technical support is needed to sustain partnerships (a meeting convenor, regular e-mail updates, conference calls, etc.)?
- How are non-traditional, or harder to reach, groups from the community contacted and involved?
- Who are the nay-sayers in the community who could become better informed about the school and invited to participate?
- How are the energies of different partners assessed? Are these partners being used to their best, and most efficient, advantage?
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