Why Most Approaches to Creating a Great School Community Don’t Work -– and One Approach That Does Work
“These exemplary principles for facilitating group process have helped us
create the space where individuals can take responsibility for their own learning
and act upon the decisions they make.”
– Deborah B Reeve EdD, Deputy Executive Director,
National Association of Elementary School Principals
As a school leader, you are probably very conscious of the need to create a great school community. You have probably spoken about school/parent partnerships but never quite been able to achieve that all elusive goal — not to mention the idea of fully engaging students in their own learning and forming local community partnerships.
Building a Great School Community
Research has now shown that unless you give people the opportunity to have their say and give them a strong sense that their views are important and have been taken into account, you can’t hope to build the school community that you seek.
If you can go even further and facilitate the finding of common ground amongst the stakeholders, you will generate an even stronger school community.
An approach which has been shown to achieve this very effectively in schools across North America is an approach called ‘Future Search’.
This approach recognises that despite the awesome benefits of modern technology, the best form of communication, engagement and learning remains face to face meetings - particularly one large group meeting of the ‘whole system’.
What Future Search does is to provide 8 proven principles for the success of such meetings. It is based on systems thinking and the following is a summary of those principles:
- Get the ‘Whole System’ (a Representation of All Relevant Stakeholders) in the Room
- Explore the Whole System Before Focusing on Changing any Parts
- Focus on the Future (rather than Problems) and Find Common Ground
- Facilitate Self Management and Self Responsibility
- Insist on Full Attendance for the Duration of the Meeting
- Healthy Meeting Conditions of Natural Light and Good Food
- Make the Meeting Long Enough to Ensure That You Meet the Desired Outcomes
- Commitment to and Share Action Based on Voluntary Involvement
As regards Principle 1, the representation of stakeholders includes school leadership, faith, teachers, admin staff, students, parents, and external partners.
Incidentally, these principles replicate the emerging principles for effective learning and the application of the principles therefore automatically facilitates more effective learning.
As just one example, consistent with Principle 4, it is now known that students learn more effectively when they take self responsibility rather than being directed by others. When teachers are invited to self responsibility and management by school leadership, they begin to automatically apply the same principle approach with their students.
A Great School Community – The Outcomes
Properly planned and lead, such meetings produce 7 distinct outcomes for creating strong school communities. But the overall outcome is collaborative action and engagement that achieves results that were previously unable to be achieved.
A Great School Community – Understandable Scepticism
Some school leaders have understandable scepticism about this approach. Like all of us, you have probably experienced many small group meetings that were unproductive, let alone large group meetings.
However, it is the combination of proper planning, quality meeting leadership and particularly the 8 Future Search principles, that make this approach so powerful in producing a strategic plan that has meaning and relevance.
Here’s what some authors of a book focused on Future Search in school district change have said:
“Those who consider Future Search may wonder about the wisdom of widespread community involvement in school planning at the outset. Often they fear that “outsiders” will have too high expectations of the school district [or school] or else overstep their role. What has been found is that by opening the system through a Future Search, people better understand their role and find ways to contribute more fully and appropriately.”
– Future Search in School District Change — Connection, Community, and Results, Rita Schweitz & Kim Martens with Nancy Aronson
More information on this approach and how it might be of benefit in developing a great school community and a great school.
-
Coming 2009!
-
News and Events
Advanced Meeting Leadership Workshop for Leaders and Consultants, with internationally renowned US authors and consultants Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff of Future Search fame. Sydney. October 2008. Large discounts for first 20 registrants!
Download Brochure
