School leaders should reach out to community, Public Agenda reports Public engagement will help school leaders, administrators, and school board members increase community involvement in their districts, said Deborah Wadsworth, president of Public Agenda, at the 2001 Magna Awards luncheon yesterday. A Fresh Look at Attitudes on Public Engagement. The survey examined the attitudes of superintendents, school board members, teachers, and members of the general public on community involvement. The report revealed that school leaders want more public involvement, but found school board meetings an ineffective vehicle to understand the concerns of local citizens.
Public engagement involves lots of listening and receiving feedback.
One myth that Wadsworth found untrue was that only parents support public schools. The survey revealed that Americans as a whole want education to continue to be the top priority of leaders, and they believe the schools belong to everyone. Americans feel a loyalty to schools. There are only incremental differences between parents and non-parents. It's also a myth that parents want more control over education and schools.