One of the leaders of the Jackson coalition, Ann Jones, is an influential local businesswoman who is also a former school board member. Service creates credibility. Try to include among the coalition's early goals something tangible that the schools identify as a needed improvement or contribution, but that also brings members of the community into direct contact with the schools. When a coalition in Wichita recruited volunteers to work regularly in the middle schools, for example, skeptical educators saw that they were willing to do the really difficult work of helping children learn. The good will thus generated can serve as the basis for genuine, respectful cooperation between the school system and the coalition, even when the coalition asks tough questions or proposes ambitious reforms.
Students come first.
Higher student achievement is a goal that creates an expanse of common ground, where members of a coalition can usually work productively together. In some communities, however, the school system has seriously neglected middle level education, and the achievement of students has languished. Even in these districts, a handful of committed educators will usually welcome the efforts of a coalition and find ways to help. The rule of thumb, then, is that everyone benefits when community representatives and educators work together to organize and sustain an independent coalition. When this cooperation is not possible, the needs of middle school students are paramount, and citizens should proceed with organizing the coalition, always alert to opportunities to develop positive relationships with school system leaders.