A Blueprint for Action: Community and Business

IX: Community and Business

Preamble: Recognizing the need to organize and activate religious organizations, community groups, and businesses to create more effective partnerships in educating Black children, and collaborate to ask the "right questions" to improve local schools and school systems. We commit to:

ACTION ITEMS IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

A. Maximize the time community groups interact with the educational system, such as local schools, districts, areas, and regions. 1. Develop a clear set of minimum expectations as they relate to student academic achievement and behavior.

2. Identify the key actors in the policy and decision-making process such as school board members, principals, and regional superintendents. Target energies toward the most appropriate level.

3. Learn the official "chain of command" and the appropriate protocols for interaction.

4. Be prepared to move to the next level of decision making.

5. Pick targets that are likely to present quick and long lasting success.

6. Expect success.

7. Identify other community groups which may share your ideas.

8. Encourage members of the community group to which you belong to nun for office (i.e. school board).

9. Identify and work to elect persons who have interests which complement or align with the interests of your community organization.

10. Monitor the performance of elected officials.

B. Monitor student outcomes. 1. Obtain hard data, such as reading scores, mathematics scores, attendance figures, dropout rates, number of pupils progressing to the next educational level from Boards of Education offices.

2. Consider subjective variables that relate to school culture and that may be more valuable than some objective measures.

3. Emphasize the teaching of science, mathematics, and technology.

4. Disaggregate and review performance data by ethnic group, gender, and grade.

5. Support the teaching of both science and mathematics at the earliest possible grade levels.

6. Encourage performance-based assessment of students.

C. Become familiar with and discuss local school districts' current mission and goals statements. 1. Principle of Purpose -- To what extent does the district:

articulate a set of purposes that provides long-term direction?
value the importance of employees understanding the purposes of the district's mission?
value the importance of decisions being made with consideration of the purposes?
2. Principle of Empowerment -- To what extent does the district:

value empowering employees throughout the district to assist in the district's mission?
value equal opportunity to access information, support, and resources?
view power as an expanding entity throughout the organization?
3. Principle of Decision Making -- To what extent does the district:

support the decentralization of decisions as close to the local school as possible?
value opportunity for input in district-wide decisions?
value decisions being made by those who are directly affected by them?
4. Principle of Belonging-- To what extent does the district

value commitment to the development of the individual within the district?
treat individual employees as significant stakeholders in the organization?
value a "we spirit" and feeling of ownership in the organization?
5. Principle of Trust and Confidence -- To what extent does the district:

believe that employees act in the best interests of students and the organization?
have confidence in the expertise of staff members to make wise decisions?
believe that employees will respond with their best efforts when appropriately recognized?
6. Principle of Excellence -- To what extent does the district:

value high standards and high expectations?
value an atmosphere encouraging all staff members to "stretch and grow"?
believe in investing in the potential of district employees?
7. Principle of Recognition and Reward -- To what extent does the district:

value offering incentives to encourage innovation and risk-taking?
believe in recognizing employees and students who achieve significant accomplishments?
believe in investing in the potential of district employees?
8. Principle of Caring -- To what extent does the district:

value the well-being and personal concerns of the employees?
believe in employees sharing themselves in an open and trusting manner?
take a personal interest in the professional development and career of employees?
9. Principle of Integrity -- To what extent does the district:

value differences in Individual philosophy and personality?
value and encourage differences in teaching style and philosophy?
believe that schools are inevitably different, calling for flexibility in teaching and learning approaches?
10. Principle of Professional Demeanor -- To what extent does the district:

encourage employees to be positive role models?
encourage parents to support and model exemplary behavior as a benefit to the child's growth and development?
encourage students to demonstrate exemplary behavior as a result of the models which they see at home and at school?

D. Develop a technology center. 1. Develop a computer technology area that provides state-of-the-art information supplied by the business community and school system.

2. Encourage religious communities to secure computers that can connect educational information and family involvement through the internet.

3. Connect to and videotape satellite town meetings provided monthly by the U.S. Department of Education and others.

4. Contact specialists in the area of technology through the university, community college, businesses, and secure their expertise in setting up technology centers in religious institutions.

Go Back a Section | Go to the Table of Contents | Go to the next section

To obtain a printed copy of this report
And for permission to redistribute, please contact:
Elizabeth Norwood
E-mail: esnorwood@aol.com
NCEBC: National Council on Educating Black Children
P.O. Box 2293
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Website Copyright © 1999 New Horizons for Learning, all rights reserved.
New Horizons for Learning
URL: http://www.newhorizons.org
E-mail: info@newhorizons.org

ACTION ITEMS	IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES
A. Maximize the time community groups interact with the educational system, such as local schools, districts, areas, and regions.	1. Develop a clear set of minimum expectations as they relate to student academic achievement and behavior. 2. Identify the key actors in the policy and decision-making process such as school board members, principals, and regional superintendents. Target energies toward the most appropriate level. 3. Learn the official "chain of command" and the appropriate protocols for interaction. 4. Be prepared to move to the next level of decision making. 5. Pick targets that are likely to present quick and long lasting success. 6. Expect success. 7. Identify other community groups which may share your ideas. 8. Encourage members of the community group to which you belong to nun for office (i.e. school board). 9. Identify and work to elect persons who have interests which complement or align with the interests of your community organization. 10. Monitor the performance of elected officials.
B. Monitor student outcomes.	1. Obtain hard data, such as reading scores, mathematics scores, attendance figures, dropout rates, number of pupils progressing to the next educational level from Boards of Education offices. 2. Consider subjective variables that relate to school culture and that may be more valuable than some objective measures. 3. Emphasize the teaching of science, mathematics, and technology. 4. Disaggregate and review performance data by ethnic group, gender, and grade. 5. Support the teaching of both science and mathematics at the earliest possible grade levels. 6. Encourage performance-based assessment of students.
C. Become familiar with and discuss local school districts' current mission and goals statements.	1. Principle of Purpose -- To what extent does the district: articulate a set of purposes that provides long-term direction? value the importance of employees understanding the purposes of the district's mission? value the importance of decisions being made with consideration of the purposes? 2. Principle of Empowerment -- To what extent does the district: value empowering employees throughout the district to assist in the district's mission? value equal opportunity to access information, support, and resources? view power as an expanding entity throughout the organization? 3. Principle of Decision Making -- To what extent does the district: support the decentralization of decisions as close to the local school as possible? value opportunity for input in district-wide decisions? value decisions being made by those who are directly affected by them? 4. Principle of Belonging-- To what extent does the district value commitment to the development of the individual within the district? treat individual employees as significant stakeholders in the organization? value a "we spirit" and feeling of ownership in the organization? 5. Principle of Trust and Confidence -- To what extent does the district: believe that employees act in the best interests of students and the organization? have confidence in the expertise of staff members to make wise decisions? believe that employees will respond with their best efforts when appropriately recognized? 6. Principle of Excellence -- To what extent does the district: value high standards and high expectations? value an atmosphere encouraging all staff members to "stretch and grow"? believe in investing in the potential of district employees? 7. Principle of Recognition and Reward -- To what extent does the district: value offering incentives to encourage innovation and risk-taking? believe in recognizing employees and students who achieve significant accomplishments? believe in investing in the potential of district employees? 8. Principle of Caring -- To what extent does the district: value the well-being and personal concerns of the employees? believe in employees sharing themselves in an open and trusting manner? take a personal interest in the professional development and career of employees? 9. Principle of Integrity -- To what extent does the district: value differences in Individual philosophy and personality? value and encourage differences in teaching style and philosophy? believe that schools are inevitably different, calling for flexibility in teaching and learning approaches? 10. Principle of Professional Demeanor -- To what extent does the district: encourage employees to be positive role models? encourage parents to support and model exemplary behavior as a benefit to the child's growth and development? encourage students to demonstrate exemplary behavior as a result of the models which they see at home and at school?
D. Develop a technology center.	1. Develop a computer technology area that provides state-of-the-art information supplied by the business community and school system. 2. Encourage religious communities to secure computers that can connect educational information and family involvement through the internet. 3. Connect to and videotape satellite town meetings provided monthly by the U.S. Department of Education and others. 4. Contact specialists in the area of technology through the university, community college, businesses, and secure their expertise in setting up technology centers in religious institutions.