The American public's ranking of education as a top priority provides school leaders a unique opportunity to capitalize on this increased interest to achieve broad-based community support for children and public schools. To assist elementary and middle school principals in this critical effort, the National Association of Elementary School Principals has launched a nationwide public engagement campaign targeting families and all members of local school communities.
Research is at the core of all campaign materials development.
The majority of participants indicated that community members share responsibility for improving education, but aren't sure how to do so. The work of Eric Schaps, president of DSC, provides key strategies for building and sustaining a sense of community within every child. Based upon the successful Child Development Project model, the strategies will be incorporated into professional development offerings offered across the country in co-sponsorship with state affiliates. Other related one-day workshops will also be included in the campaign. Convention attendees received copies of both the campaign and resource kits and attended training sessions on their effective use.