Spring 1997 No. 2 National Network of Partnership Schools
Communication Flows Two Ways
by Mavis G. Sanders
Challenges for the six types of involvement must be met to transform an average partnership program into an excellent one. Meeting the challenges means that practices will be responsive to the diverse needs of families, students, and communities, and will inform and involve all families in various ways.
One key challenge of Type 1 - Parenting is to provide information from workshops and other school activities to families who cannot attend. Because families also need opportunities to provide ideas and information to the school, a key challenge of Type 2 - Communicating is to establish two-way channels of communication from school-to-home and from home-to-school. Action Teams in schools across the country in the National Network of Partnership Schools are working hard to meet these and other challenges.
For example, to meet the first challenge, the Action Team for School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Cross Country Elementary School in Baltimore City makes sure that summaries of all school events and activities are available in the school's Parent Room. Parents can stop by to pick up the summary of a workshop they missed. Summaries also appear in the school's monthly newsletter.
To meet the second challenge, the school produces a "two-way" newsletter that contains a tear-off section for parents' signatures, comments, or questions. Someone at the school replies to the comments or questions by phone or in the next newsletter. The Action Team encourages students to return tear-offs by conducting an on-going school-wide activity called the "One Hundred Percent Club." Classes with 100 percent returns win pizza parties, are announced over the intercom, and are recognized in the next newsletter. This helps strengthen students' understanding of the part they play in school, family, and community partnerships.
By meeting these challenges, schools are taking steps to ensure that all families receive and have opportunities to respond to important school information. They are building the foundation for a strong program of partnerships.
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