Crossing borders to increase student learning.Former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare John Gardner
John Champlin Gardner, Jr. (July 21, 1933 – September 14, 1982) was an American novelist and university teacher. once wrote that "leaders who do not work across boundaries are not serving the long-term institutional interests of their constituents." Students are the constituents of public schools. If Gardner is correct, school administrators who do not work strategically with other community institutions are not doing all they can to support student success. Educators who want to build sustainable partnerships must recognize the broader dimension of youth development and the importance of family circumstance Circumstance or circumstances can refer to:
Hubs of Support A growing number of school and community leaders are integrating these points of view into a comprehensive approach to education reform. They are using the community school strategy, reaching across boundaries and creating networks of shared responsibility for student success. Community schools act as hubs in the community. They integrate a focus on academics with family support, health and social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales , youth and community development. Their curriculum emphasizes real-world learning through community problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. and service. They extend the school day and week to reach families and community residents. Community-based organizations or public institutions often take the lead, working in partnership with school systems to mobilize mo·bi·lize v. 1. To make mobile or capable of movement. 2. To restore the power of motion to a joint. 3. To release into the body, as glycogen from the liver. community assets. This strategy creates social capital that leads to new opportunities for young people. In its recent report "Growing Community Schools: The Role of Cross-Boundary Leadership," the Coalition for Community Schools chronicles Chronicles, two books of the Bible, originally a single work in the Hebrew canon (the final book of that canon), called First and Second Chronicles in the Authorized Version, and called First and Second Paralipomenon in the Septuagint and in the Vulgate. the work of cross-boundary leaders in such cities and towns as Tukwila, Wash.; Evansville, Ind.; Lincoln, Neb.; and Cincinnati, Ohio “Cincinnati” redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation). Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. . What are these school and community leaders doing differently? * They nurture NURTURE. The act of taking care of children and educating them: the right to the nurture of children generally belongs to the father till the child shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and not longer. Till then, he is guardian by nurture. Co. Litt. 38 b. and expand networks among schools, local government, business, civic and other institutions. * They engage the community, not just selling their own agenda but sharing, listening and responding. * They define common results that reflect mutual interests. * They think systemically, aligning a·lign v. a·ligned, a·lign·ing, a·ligns v.tr. 1. To arrange in a line or so as to be parallel: align the tops of a row of pictures; aligned the car with the curb. the resources of the school and the community toward achieving common goals. * They organize an infrastructure of staff to work across school and community boundaries to ensure sustained support. * They tell their stories to the public using data and anecdotes that the public understands. * They stay in the work for the long haul Long distance. Long haul implies traversing a state or a country. Contrast with short haul. . Tapping Expertise Perhaps more important than the specific actions of these leaders is the perspective they bring. Leaders in the coalition's study put developing students' academic, as well as physical, social, emotional, moral and civic competencies, high on their agenda. They paid attention to both accountability and quality. These boundary crossing leaders recognize that educating young people to high standards means taking steps to connect children and families to the sources of opportunity and support in their own communities. They welcome the rich diversity in language, culture and outlook that changing student populations bring to our schools, and refuse to evade e·vade v. e·vad·ed, e·vad·ing, e·vades v.tr. 1. To escape or avoid by cleverness or deceit: evade arrest. 2. a. the hard questions and challenges posed by the issues of race, equity and poverty. These leaders are bold. They are scaling up community schools as quickly as possible, with a clear focus on results. They know that research supports engaging their communities and that it makes good sense--especially when public schools need voter VOTER. One entitled to a vote; an elector. support for bonds and tax levies and reinforcement reinforcement /re·in·force·ment/ (-in-fors´ment) in behavioral science, the presentation of a stimulus following a response that increases the frequency of subsequent responses, whether positive to desirable events, or of the public education enterprise. They also know that educators do not have all the expertise needed to support student success. So they tap the community-based organizations and public agencies that bring distinct expertise in youth development, family support and community development to the education enterprise. But they do so in a structured way, often engaging a single agency to employ a community schools coordinator who integrates an array of support and opportunities into the school. Leaders for community schools understand what the public is beginning to recognize. A recent Public Agenda "Reality Check" report said, "The strong focus on standards and testing is beginning to strike key segments of the public as a 'Johnny-one-note' approach. Among different groups there is unease about ... school climate, students' cooperation and motivation, family support and social problems that seep into the schools." These leaders see the community school as a vehicle for addressing the challenges the public sees, challenges that educators see every day. Everyone knows that our public schools face daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin challenges in the No Child Left Behind era. School leaders involved with community schools face these challenges together with their communities. They turn outward, leading across boundaries to open the doors of their institutions and the minds of their staff to the power of community. Where others see boundaries, they see the opportunity to rebuild networks of shared responsibility for all of our young people. Martin Blank is director of the Coalition for Community Schools at the Institute for Educational Leadership, 4455 Connecticut Ave, N.W. Suite 310, Washington, DC 20008. E-mail: blankm@iel.org |
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