McCall, Professional Development Specialist Jackson Public Schools, Jackson, Mississippi and Past President, Mississippi Parent-Teacher Associations Paying attention to balance. People with a fresh viewpoint tend to ask more questions than insiders do, and they're also less defensive about facing up to honest answers. Similarly, a coalition can help mobilize the school system in support of broader goals, such as economic development, crime control, or community service. Visible signs of community interest are especially important for staff, parents, and children in schools where poverty, overcrowding, low student achievement, or other problems have already created a sense of being left out. Community support multiplies the capacity of the schools.
Public education depends on community support, both implicit and explicit.
I have two children in middle school, one in sixth grade and one in eighth. It helps them to see me involved with our council. Moncure, Parent Representative Council on Reform and Excellence, Jackson, Mississippi A coalition can build educational capacity by encouraging coordination and a sense of shared mission among all middle schools in the community. Middle schools with high standards challenge elementary schools to do better for all children, while also ensuring that students arrive in high school ready to make choices and prepare themselves for further education or work. Middle schools can also lead the way to broader reforms simply by opening their doors to input from the community in a visible way.