WORKING TOGETHER
Harnessing Community Resources
to Improve Middle Schools

• Enlist a core of interested people.
  
  
• Contact school officials and parent leaders to get information, learn their views on the current state of middle school education, and discuss the potential of a coalition.
  
  
• Learn what middle schools in other parts of the country are doing; a good place to start is with the MiddleWeb site at http://www.middleweb.com.
  
  
• Draft your mission and possible membership.
  
  
• Invite your core group to a meeting to review the mission and membership and suggest possible short-term and long-term activities.
  
  
• Redraft your mission and recruit additional members.
  
  
• Set a tentative agenda.
  
  
• Hold your first meeting and appoint a chair.
  
  
• Announce the formation of the coalition to the press, elected officials, and others.