Partnerships

​ Times have changed. Parent involvement no longer means mothers who come to the school building Monday-Friday between 9am and 3pm to help with clerical tasks or making bulletin boards. Today, schools can organize, implement, and sustain research-based partnership programs that involve all families and the community to help students succeed. In this activity, you will discuss an important issue that contributes to successful partnership programs with your team and then share a summary of your discussion with the whole group. Part I

1. For the team and whole group discussions this week, be sure that you have completed the readings.

2. Address the questions assigned to your team (see below). Be creative and think outside of the box.

3. The team Reporter will post a summary of your team’s discussion to the appropriate thread in the Week 8: Building Partnerships whole group discussion by mid-week, noon on Friday.

Team A: Perceptions

To have a well-organized school, family, and community partnership program that improves student success, certain attitudes and perceptions are required. List 3-5 of these perceptions for each of the following stakeholder groups:


 * The principal should have these viewpoints or attitudes to lead to increased student achievement and to create successful partnerships:
 * Trust that parent involvement will lead to increased achievement
 * Collaborative
 * Supportive and open
 * Foster positive relationships with and value all stakeholders
 * The teacher should have these viewpoints or attitudes to lead to increased student achievement by building better relationships with students, families, and community:
 * Focus on success
 * Feel they have a voice
 * Trust
 * Understanding and welcoming
 * Appreciate diversity
 * The parents should have these viewpoints or attitudes to lead to increased student achievement by being invested/involved in child's education:
 * Feel welcomed
 * Feel they have a voice in decision making
 * Desire to actively participate in school
 * Share ideas, ideals, culture, and child
 * Mutual respect between stakeholders
 * Supportive by reinforcing ideas, rules and curriculum at home
 * Invite other parents to be active ?
 * The community members should have these viewpoints or attitudes to lead to increased student understanding of their influence as future community members and as future employees:
 * Feel important to stakeholders
 * Feel invested in relationship
 * Feel valued
 * Feel there is a reciprocal relationship
 * Provide opportunities for students to volunteer or experience the community businesses
 * Donate time, materials, and money ?
 * Voluntary ?
 * Self-starter ?