The efforts in these eight communities generated serious discussion among residents about what kind of communities they would like to inhabit, what kind of education they feel their children need, and what changes in the status quo they will support. Conversation creates understanding . The goal of these conversations was to identify areas of challenge and opportunity, not to build consensus. Being heard and listening to others is an important part of creating a collective strategy for communities. In each of these communities, the process of talking these issues through also demonstrated that people are capable of changing their minds.
Parents are eager for results .
Regardless of race, parents are impatient with the varying pace and impact of education reform. Parents are looking for solutions and actions that will improve the quality of schools immediately. They want to see changes that will help their children now, not wait around for changes that may or may not improve the quality of schools years from now. Citizens share high aspirations for students . Public engagement is a critical element of the standards movement.