Developing a walkthrough checklist is an opportunity

Developing a ‚Walkthrough Checklist‛ is an opportunity for everyone to work
together. Collaborating to develop a survey instrument, compiling the data, and
making recommendations from the survey is a way to start a positive relationship that
will enable partnerships to flourish.
Elements of Successful Communication
 A dynamic process, two-way and mutually beneficial
 Conscious thought and planning
 Speaking respectfully and listening actively
 Plain language writing
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The top three things for schools to do to ‚toot their horn‛ are:
1) Tweet/Twitter, Facebook, put on website, send news release to local media
showcasing the good news. Keep partners informed of good news.
2) If you’re b uilding relationships with the business community, create a distribution
list and let them know every time there are student gains on test scores — give them
a reason to invest. Send notes home to parents. Create your own news article, using
photos of smiling students and educators. Ask local churches and grocery stores to
post on their bulletin boards. Promote, promote, promote!
3) Let other schools know what you are doing; promote your success in school
newsletters/magazines that go out to parents and the community and through the
district website.
Remember that:
 Every interaction is an opportunity to build partnerships.
 Positive communication is an important first step.
 As we interact with families and communities, we become better communicators.
 In this era of technology, people are constantly acquiring new communication
strategies.
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Mini Discussion 2
The emergence of parents as leaders has been one of the unexpected highlights of
federally funded programs, especially Title 1 and Head Start. This is especially true
for poor and minority parents. Without formal training, they often found
themselves in leadership roles in Title 1.
These two programs; Project Head Start (1964) and (Title 1) of the Elementary
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, were signed into law by President
Lyndon B. Johnson. Title 1, currently amended under the ‚No Child Left Behind
Act‛ is the largest federal commitment to state and local school districts to meet the
educational needs of children attending schools in poor communities. The
involvement of parents is a major requirement in Title 1. The National Coalition of
Title 1 Parents championed parental involvement by advocating for legislative
requirements to ensure it happened.
Several additional federal education programs that include the requirement that
parents are involved include:
Bilingual Education Act of 1968
Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP)
It is important to note, these programs would not have existed without the
influence of the civil rights movement and the Brown v. Board of Education (Brown)
decision (1954), in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared ‚racial segregation in
public school unconstitutionally deprives students of equal education
opportunities.‛