Who gets things started? A coalition is fundamentally
a collection of people, representing a collection of organizations and interests.
At the beginning, though, a coalition begins with a single person, maybe
two. That person may be an educator or a business person, a member of a
civic group or a parent, a social service provider or staff member at a
community organization. Anyone with time and interest can get the ball rolling.
Survey the territory. Even if you know the school system
well, it's a good idea to collect some basic information on the current
state of local middle schools. Ask the school district for data on student
performance, descriptions of special programs at each school, budget reports,
and any other materials they offer to the public or parents. Request copies
of recent legislation or other state-level initiatives for school improvement.
Judy Seal, a parent and former teacher in Long Beach, did research and asked
"lots of tough questions" as she explored the options for a middle
school coalition. "You need to do this," she says, "if you're
going to be able to explain the situation to other people."
Collect background information into packets to share with members of your
core group; they may have other items to add, as well. If you have difficulty
obtaining the materials you need, make a note of the problem: developing
better public and parent information may be an area where your coalition,
like the one in Jackson, can make an early contribution.
Finding the right motivation. Shaping the coalition
depends on weighing what needs to be done to foster middle school reform
and what strengths your community can bring to the task. Solicit advice
from the president of a local parent organization, the head of youth services
in your city, a principal or school board member, the director of a community
organization, a community-minded business leader. Ask each one to help envision
a community coalition with a clear mandate, sensible parameters, and a coherent
course that includes both immediate and long-term goals. Better yet, invite
this core group of people to an informal meeting to discuss the possible
value of a coalition.
Gathering the ideas of others will suggest possible directions and give
you an idea of the type of effort likely to find strong support in your
community. Condense the advice you've received into a one-sentence, common
sense description, similar to one of these:
Locate allies of middle school reform. Your core group
can also help identify other people and groups with an interest in education
in general, and with middle school improvement in particular. The coalition
does not need to include everyone or every interest, only those who genuinely
want to improve middle school education and who see the potential value
of the group. Your coalition might include five or ten or fifteen people
at the outset. The list may change and grow as you refine your goals and
begin to take on projects. In Jackson, for example, there weren't many parents
or corporate members in the original group, but their numbers increased
after the first year.
Also remember that the coalition won't be the only group operating at the
intersection of education and the community. The local school board, parent
organizations, youth service providers, sports booster groups, job training
programs, and even the chamber of commerce all have interests and projects
that overlap with the goals of a coalition. Investigate what these groups
do, how active they are, and what their contributions have been. Find out
what they think of middle schools, and where they'd like to see improvements.
Ask them to join the coalition. By understanding their missions and recognizing
their accomplishments, your coalition can gain their support without encroaching
on their turf.
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