Spring, 2000 No. 8 National Network of Partnership Schools
Issues and Insights
Celebrate Good Work!
Joyce L. Epstein, Director
Sometimes educators, parents, and students get so caught up with end-of-year tests and assessments, that they forget to celebrate progress on school, family, and community partnerships. Yet, good partnerships, along with excellent teaching, contribute to increased test scores and to other indicators of student success. So, it is important to celebrate progress and share good ideas to ensure that productive partnership programs are maintained from year to year.
Conduct a District-wide Celebration Workshop
Districts should bring together schools’ Action Teams for Partnerships toward the end of each school year to recognize and share good work. For example, Baltimore City Public School "Areas" (clusters of over twenty schools) have held these celebrations every year since 1988. Schools set up displays of their best partnership practices for others to adopt or adapt. Panels of principals, Action Team chairs, parents, and community partners discuss challenges and solutions for excellent partnerships. Baltimore’s Area Facilitators select motivating themes and schedule their celebrations for one-half to one day, and provide lunch or dinner. Buffalo City School District leaders are planning to bring schools together this June to share good work and to plan ahead. All districts in the Network are encouraged to recognize their schools’ good work on partnerships and to help schools improve their next One-Year Action Plans. (See pp. 60-66 in the Network’s School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action for ideas and sample agendas for end-of-year celebrations.)
Convene a Statewide Conference
States may celebrate progress at statewide or regional conferences each year. Wisconsin has conducted several successful summer conferences where experienced Action Teams and district leaders share their work, and where new teams and leaders learn to plan their partnership programs. At these meetings, Wisconsin’s leaders also disseminate information about state funding for partnerships, and "scale up" the number of schools and districts in the Wisconsin and National Networks. Maryland also has conducted spring conferences that spotlight good work on partnerships. All states are encouraged to conduct annual activities to help schools and districts improve their partnership programs and to celebrate good work.
Share Good Work at School
Every school’s Action Team for Partnerships should summarize its work and progress at the end of each year for the School Improvement Team or Council, faculty and staff, and parent organization. At these meetings, the next One-Year Action Plan should be presented for input and ideas. Progress and plans also should be summarized in the school newsletter or the local press. Then, everyone can learn about the school’s on-going partnership program, and which activities they might help with during the next school year. The principal, Action Team chairperson, and other school leaders should write "thank you" notes or conduct other activities to acknowledge volunteers and all members of teams, councils, and committees who contributed to the school’s success throughout the year.
Over the years, I have attended many end-of-year celebrations in districts, states, and schools. They are truly inspirational events! Educators and parents have so few opportunities to spotlight excellent, collaborative efforts and to reflect on needed next steps. Members of the Network are encouraged to plan end-of-year celebrations that acknowledge good work, even as they continue to improve their programs.
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