MODULE 6

Teacher Leaders and Community Involvement

                 One of the main actions I believe I can take as a teacher leader to encourage community involvement in the school is through the technology initiative I’m presenting.  A large part of the reasoning behind my initiative is to encourage regular communication between teachers and parents and teachers and the community.  I think one of the keys to a school’s success is an open and honest relationship with the community.  When parents don’t know what’s going on in a school, or how decisions are made, there can be misinformation circulated, gossip, bad press, all of the things that surround something that seems secretive, especially when it involves the children of the community.  As a teacher leader in charge of the school online grading system, website and website training, I’ll have the ability to encourage honest and open communication between teachers and parents as a part of my training.

Discovering Opportunity & A Call to Action

                  The final two chapters of Eric Sheninger’s Digital Leadership go back to the Pillars of Digital Leadership that were discussed in Chapter 4.  As a school works its way through these pillars, there are a multitude of resources and opportunities available to them within the community, and through social media, that will be cost-effective and beneficial not only to the students, but also to the parents, teachers, administrators, and local businesses. By working together to foster a positive and open relationship between all of these stakeholders, the school can become a hub of the community, and a safe, positive place that prepares students for the future they will live in.

                  A key to this development is building relationships with partners in and around the community the school serves.  Schools can partner with local colleges and universities, as well as other schools in the area, to share resources in a way that will move all partners forward without having to invest more money. 

                  Schools can also partner with businesses and organizations in their area to widen the experience of the students, broaden their perspective on historical, present, and future community issues, and engage parents and community members who have a vested interest in the success of the school system.  All of these partnerships can be achieved with little to no cost to the schools.

                  Another beneficial partnership is with physical and mental health providers.  Schools can provide a place for counseling, physicals, treatment for minor health issues, substance abuse education and treatment, and other challenges that children face mentally and physically.  These kinds of partnerships will make these services more visible and attainable for the families the schools serve, which will benefit all parties.

                  Then, of course, there are public media and social media tools, which are free to the schools and will help foster transparency and accountability in the school district, as well as a sense of involvement for the families in the community.

                  Schools need to be leaders in all of these areas.  These are all partnerships and tools that can be developed and used by the school system at little to no cost, yet they will make the educational experience of the students more relevant, beneficial, and valuable in the 21^st century, and they will continually challenge the school to move forward, which will keep the educational system from stagnating.