engagement committee report january 10, 2012
DESCRIPTION
Engagement Committee report January 10, 2012. City Schools of Decatur Dr. Phyllis A. Edwards, Superintendent City Schools of Decatur will be one of the top community school systems in the nation. Focus Questions. Our work as a committee directly connects to CSD Strategic Plan Goal #5: - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEEREPORT
January 10, 2012City Schools of Decatur
Dr. Phyllis A. Edwards, SuperintendentCity Schools of Decatur will be one of the top community
school systems in the nation
Focus QuestionsOur work as a committee directly connects to CSD Strategic Plan Goal #5:Establish effective and engaging opportunities to develop and maintain mutual trust and respect between the school system and its community/stakeholders. Our work focused on these three questions: 1. What are the parameters that a superintendent would
need to consider in gaining input?
2. What are the key driving issues/topics that the superintendent needs to use a process in order to garner input from the community? What would that look like?
3. What are our roles and responsibilities in engaging with each other?
See: What Our Stakeholders Tell Us
1.Ways we communicate?2.Ways we elicit feedback?3.Ways we engage? (build relationships)
•District Website•eBOARD with meeting agendas, documents, presentations and more•CSD Facebook Page•Eblast• Press releases• District-wide eNewsletter called CSD Connections (monthly)
•Robo calls•Parent Portal in Infinite Campus•Strategic plan kick-off and final presentation (10-11 and 11-12)•CSD Annual Report (yearly)•Communication with City to add articles to the Decatur Focus mailing
• Websites• Newsletters (weekly)• Eblasts (ongoing)
• Newsletters• Important reminders
• Curriculum Nights/Open Houses (2x/year)• Parent/teacher conferences (ongoing) • Emails/phone calls/open door/office hours (ongoing)• Tours for perspective parents (throughout the year)• Information sessions ex. IB/EL sessions, coffee chats, topic-based nights
(ongoing)
Communication toStakeholders
district
schools
•Board meeting “public comments” section (monthly)•SCLT meetings with Dr. Edwards (5x/year)•SLT breakfast/coffee with Dr. Edwards (1-2x year)•Dr. Edwards/BOE committees• Engagement• Start/end times• Transportation• Enrollment
•Strategic plan work sessions with all stakeholders — parents, community members, teachers, administrators •Virtual comment box, [email protected]
•PTA/PTO board meeting “public comments” (monthly)•SLT “public comments” (monthly)•Open hours/open door policies (ongoing) •Family Engagement Surveys
Feedback fromStakeholders
district
schools
•Dr. Edwards and central office staff come to SLT meetings, Advisory Council meetings, staff meetings •One central office staff member serves on every SLT •CSD Engagement Committee •Connecting Families- yearly cohort of families receiving free computers, internet and classes
•Information sessions — IB/EL sessions, coffee chats, topic-based nights, moms and muffins-type activities•Room parents •Open hours/open door practices•PTA Events (monthly)•Volunteer opportunities (ongoing)
Engagement withStakeholders
district
schools
See: What Our Stakeholders Tell Us
Stakeholders need and prefer to be reached in different ways; We need to embrace all of these methods of communication so that we reach people where they are.
Engagement is different than communication: it is about building relationships.
See: What Our Stakeholders Tell Us
Rezoning K-3 Schools to include Glennwood Elementary in 2010-2011:1. Two information sessions
• Overview of why and how• Time for questions
2. All maps posted at schools with pro/con lists• Maps posted for several weeks
3. All maps posted at the Housing Authority with access to computers to give feedback online
4. All maps posted on the website with a link for feedback 5. Issue on the board agenda for two meetings and a work session
• Public comments section at meetings6. Information in newsletters and eBlasts about the meetings7. Information about rezoning was put on the Decatur Metro Blog
throughout the process
8. Recommendation: Wrap-Up session
See: What Other Districts and Communities Tell Us
Each member was charged with asking at least 2 friends or family members in another school district this question: How does the superintendent/principal/school leader engage with the community?
See: What Other Districts and Communities Tell Us
Most prevalent: eBlast and email
Most unique: Dedicated space in the community newspaper
Most prevalent Face-to-Face: Town Hall meetings, Neighborhood meetings, Coffee Chats
What are the key issues that the superintendent needs to use a process in order to garner input fromthe community? What would that look like?
Recommendation #1Enrollment “rehearsal”
Step #1: Information Session
DHA Community Center
Westchester or
Clairemont
Fifth Avenue
Step #2: Elicit
Feedback
Recommendation #1Enrollment “rehearsal”
Step #3: Reflection
Recommendation #2
ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEEREPORT
January 10, 2012
Heather Borowski (CSD employee, CSD parent)Courtney Burnett (CSD employee)
Annie Caiola (CSD parent)Cheryl Grant (CSD employee, CSD parent)
Jeff Morrison (CSD parent)
Nick Cavaliere (Community member)Erin Wheeler (Principal of Clairemont)