To ensure that children come to school ready to learn, community organizations are working closely with schools, districts, and state agencies to coordinate the delivery of services. Minority organizations, dissatisfied with inequities in student achievement across ethnic groups, are playing active roles in education decision making. And, perhaps most critical to success, teachers are playing a significant role in the change process. Without the early and ongoing commitment of classroom teachers, the health of an initiative is almost certain to be compromised. Regarding partnerships with organizations outside the K-12 education community, much has been learned about what conditions make partnerships difficult.
Urban superintendents have an average tenure of three years.
School board members, who approve all contracts, are up for re-election frequently. Both must be reaffirmed frequently, especially as partners leave and are replaced. Business partners must demonstrate that their participation is motivated more by a commitment to the vision than by self-interest. District partners must be willing and able to provide the conditions needed to nurture the vision and must be willing to apply lessons learned. Existing organizational structures must be considered when implementing the goals.