Catherine Redford, Action Team Chair; Erin Anderson, Principal (Naperville School District 203)
Row 1: Mary Smedegart, Catherine Redford, Anne Swiderick and Molly Rivera-Mello. Row 2: Sally Pentecost (Retiring Principal), Erin Anderson (Principal) and Jamie Shahidehpour (NNPS Key Contact).
Madison Junior High School's Action Team for Partnerships of teacher, parents, and administrators meets monthly. The leaders vary the day of the meeting each week to increase the attendance of various members. The leaders also communicate with those who could not attend so that they are aware of meetings and plans. The leadership structure for partnerships branches out at Madison from the Action Team to include a parent coordinator and volunteers for each "team" of students and teachers within the junior high school.
The school has had four principals in five years, yet the Action Team for Partnerships has helped all new leaders at Madison join the agenda for good partnerships. District leaders also help smoothe transitions by providing a major orientation on partnerships to new principals and new team members each year.
The school has fostered a welcoming environment for all families and many activities for all six types of involvement, including evening discussions about adolescence to help parents share effective parenting strategies and to network with one another on important topics; newsletters; "Thursday Things" for sending information home; a volunteer data base; honor-roll breakfasts; family literacy nights; connections with business partners; and more. All activities are linked to the School Improvement Plan and important goals for students.
A special partnership project in 2002 was to landscape the school. Parents, teachers, district grounds keepers, community partners, and the students' Environmental Club designed, planted, and improved features to prevent future flooding, winter icing, and vandalism. The activity was conducted to honor the 25th anniversary of the school.
Another event, Dad's Day, offered a Saturday celebration of breakfast, fitness, tech lab, and other activities. Over 300 fathers attended with their sons and daughters to learn more about the school.
Madison's leaders wrote: "The National Network of Partnership Schools provides any school with a structure that (supports) the vision that students succeed best when families, schools, and the community are all involved in meaningful partnership activities on behalf of the child. The Network recognizes parents as leaders, far beyond the typical and traditional volunteering activities that have occurred in the past. (New partnership programs) focus on the importance of community partners to help prepare youth for future participation as consumers, employees, and citizens. New programs also connect parent involvement and the School Improvement Plan to strengthen and enrich the curriculum program offered to our students."
Madison's principal added: "Madison students are more successful and genuinely happy children, thanks to the efforts of our parent community working in partnership with teachers and administers at school."
Also see this school's examples of Promising Partnership Programs on the website, www.partnershipschools.org, in the section Success Stories In the Spotlight. In the same district, see the Partnership District Award for Naperville, above, and the Partnership School Award for Highlands Elementary, above.