Forging Effective Partnerships Janice Chu-Zhu

Objectives Learn effective strategies that support learning and strengthen partnerships between the school and other stakeholders Use a variety of tools to assess the state of their partnerships and how to deepen their level of partnership Explore potential challenges involved with and strategies needed in creating successful partnerships

Icebreaker Two Minds

Schools Model What Society Should Be

Role as Principal’s Partner Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. Henry Ford

Trends in Public Education Cradle to Career (i.e. college access for more students—see USDOE Blueprint for America’s Public Schools) Addressing social and emotional learning Common Core State Standards Emphasis: early literacy, chronic absence, reading by third grade Educating an increasingly diverse population of students (e.g. differentiated learning, portfolios, Response to Intervention) Extending children’s learning opportunities past the traditional school day

Trends (continued) Focusing on teacher effectiveness and developing new teacher evaluations Reconstituting failing schools (Turnaround, SiG) Crafting alternative governance, financing and management structures Reaching out to better serve children and youth so that the needs of the whole child can be met (e.g. collective impact) © Dr. Charles E. Basch

Why Partner with Schools? Excellent strategy for serving more young people Cost-effective approach (use of existing facilities) Promote young people’s cognitive development as part of youth development Increase coherence of young people’s experience Help young people stay connected with school and understand relevance of academics Help schools understand the realities of their students’ lives Increase positive visibility of organization in community

Strategic Opportunity resides in the intersection of Need and Capacity

Strategic Opportunities Individually, write down five issues that currently concern your school regarding youth In small groups decide on 1 issues that you want to work on together Identify how your CBO could address these concerns Report out – 1 strategy per table

Partnership between Schools and Community Based Organizations Readiness - as an organization Partnership Assessment Tool Capacity -competencies of an organization) Core Competencies Assessment Tool

Power of Partnerships

George Washington HS Video “Power of Partnerships”

Effective Partnership Principles Plan together from the start Clarify the vision Take time to get to know one another Set ground rules Start small and build gradually Involve parents as partners Clarify roles and responsibilities Share decision-making Prepare team members to work together Stay flexible Keep tending to the relationships Be strategic

Deepening Partnerships Break out into groups In your group, list the steps or activities needed to constitute, strengthen, deepen or improve your partnership and include areas of concern and vulnerability Report out

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change small portion of events, an in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. Robert F. Kennedy

Stakeholders Name your key Stakeholders in your school in your community ID current & desired relationship Write down an action step to help move from the current to desired state of relationship, keep in mind a strategic focus on how that person or persons can impact on outcomes for youth

Designing a Successful Pitch ID key stakeholders to be involved What are their issues, address them Use data to support your pitch Align with school/community/CBO priorities Don’t over-promise, what is reasonable Listen actively, highlight win-wins

Effective Negotiation Getting to Yes! Separate the people from the problem Focus on INTERESTS, not positions Invent options for mutual gain Insist on using objective criteria

The Pitch Activity Break into smalls groups of three people Each of you will have 5 min. to design your own pitch based on a current or possible situation. Then pitch to someone in the group, the other will be the observer. Switch role for each pitch. Give appropriate feedback on strengths and suggestions for improvement.

Action Plan Individual Activity Take a few minutes and look at your strategic opportunity worksheet. Pick a priority to work on that will have the most immediate impact on your work with schools. Plan specific short and long-term action steps and strategies.

nationalcenterforcommunityschools.org