A Case for Public Engagement in Public Schools:
Why community support matters

Democracy's strength lies in the ability of people to understand and participate in decisions that affect them, their families and their society. As Americans, we look to our system of public education to sustain and reflect the promise of democracy by giving all children, regardless of race or class or language ability, access to high-quality education. Educating all of our children to high standards, however, is a collective responsibility and one that requires ongoing engagement and support of the American public.

Give Kids Good Schools, Public Education Network's (PEN) national campaign to engage Americans in supporting and improving their public schools, is built on the premise that public engagement is necessary to achieve and sustain quality public schools. In order to fulfill the promise of a quality public education for every child, Americans at every level must be part of the decisions and processes that impact public schools.

Quality Public Schools - A Collective Responsibility
Public Engagement - A Working Definition
Public Engagement Works
Resources

Quality Public Schools - A Collective Responsibility
The quality of America's public schools has a direct impact on each and every one of us. Whether we are parents, neighbors, business owners, or homeowners, each of us has a stake in the quality of our public schools.

*Nine in 10 U.S. students attend public schools. Each school day, 48 million students spend their time inside America's 95,726 public schools.

*Public schools are the center of communities. Public schools are inextricably linked to the communities they serve and are among the few remaining centers of civic and social life. Home values, crime rates and local economies have all been linked to the quality of local public schools.

*America depends on public schools for economic success. America's public schools are charged with providing the next generation of taxpayers, voters, employees, business leaders, parents and more with the solid foundation of skills and knowledge they need to succeed in work and life.

Public Engagement - A Working Definition
Decisions about public schools are often left to administrators, teachers and school boards. While these groups represent critical knowledge and expertise, every community member has a role to play to ensure that public schools are the best they can be.

Public engagement in public schools has been defined as "a purposeful effort, starting in either the school system or the community, to build a collaborative constituency for change and improvement in schools." Quite simply, public engagement encompasses efforts to bring the community together in a meaningful way, to be part of the decisions and processes that impact public schools.

Meaningful public engagement in public schools reflects the will and needs of the community, and it requires initiative from the community and openness from school and district leadership. The work of PEN and Local Education Funds across the country has shown meaningful public engagement to include:

*Strategic planning sessions, town hall meetings or community conversations. Open dialogues foster trust and collaboration, shared goals, and strategies.

*Collaboration between schools, service-providers, businesses, etc. Shared resources and collaboration enhance learning, strengthen connection, and produce mutually beneficial results for students, schools and the community.

*Public information-sharing on school performance. Communities must be informed of and understand school performance data in order to understand and support student and schools goals and strategies.

*Community participation in school board meetings. In most communities, school boards represent a school district's decision-making body and need input from the community to inform and support decisions.

*Communication with elected officials and policymakers. Elected officials must connect with and seek input from the public. At the same time, the public must communicate with elected officials to voice their concerns and support.

*Voting in school board, local and federal elections. An individual's informed vote is a powerful way to set the local and national agenda for education.

Public Engagement Works
Engaged communities create an environment where schools and students succeed.

*In Mobile, Alabama, 48 communities came together to develop a strategic plan to address the district's underperforming schools. Hundreds of community members showed up at a local school board meeting to show their support for the plan, which was unanimously approved. Today, Mobile County schools have made significant gains in reading and mathematics - some as much as 30 points - and an additional 19 schools achieved "Clear Status" as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

*When test scores and reading levels in Baltimore, Maryland's lowest performing schools were in danger of falling behind the city's average, the Baltimore City Public School System joined with local organizations, parents and citizens to implement Achievement First, a program that emphasizes family and community involvement. Parents and families were encouraged to read with their children, review their assignments, and compare them to a standards guide. Additionally, many community and after-school programs were re-directed to focus on literacy. Involving parents and the community gave students the chance to practice good learning skills outside the classroom. After three years, Baltimore City schools saw scores increase to twice the city average.

*In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the community came together to address low achievement at one of its largest high schools. Through open forums and dialogue, local citizens and non-profit organizations established local governance boards to inform and create a strategy to support the school. Today, graduation rates have increased and the state officials have changed the school's designation from "Academic Watch" to "Effective."

*When 98 percent of students in the inner-city areas of Austin, Texas, were classified as "at risk" by the state, parents, school administrators, and community members decided that the best way to reconnect student drop-outs to school was to create a program that adapted to their immediate needs. Garza Independent High School was created with a focus on career exploration and provides workshops on college preparation, life skills, financial aid for college, accessing online job listings, and small business. None of these services would be possible without the partnerships formed by the school with Austin-area organizations such as the Police Department and Community in Schools. To date, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice have highlighted Garza as a model in violence prevention and the Austin Chronicle has named Garza "The Best Public School Model" in Austin.

*In Paterson, New Jersey, and communities across the state, individuals and organizations took action to improve their schools following the Abbot decisions - a series of major state court decisions that mandated funding for 30 high-poverty urban school districts, student programs, long-range facilities plans, and financing for school construction and renovation. Following the Abbot decisions, local school board and community members met with state policymakers and joined state policy conversations to discuss their needs. Paterson residents participated in strategic planning for community schools and helped to develop a Community Schools Policy that was adopted unanimously by the Paterson Board of Education.

Resources
For more information about the importance of public engagement, and strategies to engage the public in public school reform and other efforts, see the resources below:

*Public Education Network's Taking Responsibility: Using Public Engagement to Reform Our Public Schools

*Policy Studies Associates' Citizen Mobilization and Community Institutions: The Public Education Network's Policy Initiatives

*Public Education Network's An Action Guide for Community and Parent Leaders: Using NCLB to Improve Student Achievement

*Public Education Network's Communities at Work: Strategic Interventions for Community Change

Sources:
National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics. 2006.
Annenberg Institute for School Reform. 1997.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Awards Grant To The Schools Foundation

Huntsville, Ala. – June 2, 2010

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne awarded a $4000 grant to The Schools Foundation to continue the work with local schools and the national rocket competition, TARC, Team America Rocket Competition.

The Schools Foundation applied for this funding to support Westlawn Middle School and Bob Jones High School in the nation-wide rocket competition; both schools represented the north Alabama area in the recent event.  Bob Jones came in third in the country out of a field of over 500 teams.

“Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne continues to support math and science educational partnerships,"  said Scott McLain, chair of The Schools Foundation.  “We work to build connections between business and local schools; Pratt & Whitney is a leader in this area.”

Since 2006, student teams from both public and private schools have received financial and mentor support for Team America Rocket Challenge.

The Schools Foundation works to establish partnerships between faith-based organizations and businesses with area schools in Huntsville City, Madison City, and Madison County. For more information about opportunities for school partnerships, contact The Schools Foundation at 256-503-3212, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries, and is the parent company of Pratt & Whitney.

To contact the Foundation, call (256) 503-3213 or e-mail Debbie Beaupre at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  To learn more about the Foundation, visit the web site at:  www.theschoolsfoundation.org

The Schools Foundation & Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Join Forces to Support Local Teacher

Huntsville, Ala. - March 18, 2010

The Schools Foundation, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, announce that local elementary school teacher Colleen Laymon has been selected as one of 31 teachers from 28 states as a member of "2010 Flight of Teacher Liaisons" by the National Space Foundation. She represents Alabama in a national space science conference to be held in Colorado in April. Ms. Laymon was selected from a competitive field of applicants and is one of only two teachers from Alabama.

Teacher Liaisons serve as advocates for space science education and are expected to use this opportunity to further integrate space curriculum into the classroom.  Ms. Laymon teaches at Roger Chaffee Elementary School in Huntsville.

"Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is pleased to recognize and support exemplary classroom teachers who are role models in space science education. We are delighted that a local classroom teacher has been chosen to represent north Alabama," said Tracy Lamm of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.  "Our partnership with The Schools Foundation helps us to promote the importance of math space, engineering and technology.and inspiring the next generation of explorers."  Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is partnering with the Schools Foundation to provide funding for this trip for Ms. Laymon.

The partnership between Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and The Schools Foundation has a history of success. Since 2006, student teams from both public and private schools have received financial and mentor support for Team America Rocket Challenge.

"Two local middle school rocket teams have qualified to participate in the national competition in recent years", said Scott McLain, President of The Schools Foundation. "Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has provided financial support to help support these teams. With this National Space Science Teacher award, we are raising the level of support for classroom teachers and expanding our relationship with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne."

Announcement for the space science teacher competition was promoted locally by The Schools Foundation in November of last year. Winning candidates were announced by the National Space Foundation in February.

For more space foundation information and a complete list of national winners, visit: http://www.spacefoundation.org/education/news/space-foundation-selects-31-teacher-liaisons

About Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries, and is the parent company of Pratt & Whitney.

The Schools Foundation Educators Institute Awards $2500 In Scholarships to Five Area Teachers

From among 63 applicants, five public school teachers in the Huntsville, Madison City and Madison County school districts have been awarded Excellence in Education scholarships totaling $2.500 by The Schools Foundation. The 2009 teacher scholarships are a part of The Schools Foundation's ongoing effort to encourage professional development and assist local educators defray the cost of graduate study. The Foundation partners with companies and individuals to provide these scholarships each year. Scott McLain, President of The Schools Foundation said, "Partnerships with businesses, community leaders, and other individuals make it possible for The Schools Foundation to support these teachers in their professional development."

The Boeing Math & Science Scholarships

The Boeing Company sponsored three of the five $500 awards, which were awarded this year to Vonda Pettigrew, a fourth grade/science teacher at Jones Valley Elementary; Paul Davis, a seventh grade Advanced Math Teacher at Meridianville Middle; and Emily Vandagriff, a sixth grade/science teacher at Horizon Elementary.

Emily Vandagriff pictured below, a sixth grade reading and science teacher at Horizon Elementary School in Madison, said, "When students see a purpose and the content matters to them, they will be interested and motivated to learn. I undoubtedly know that graduating with a masters degree in School Counseling will improve my classroom."

Yvonne Pettigrew pictured below is a first year fourth grade teacher at Jones Valley elementary School in Huntsville. She says, "While I feel that my undergraduate degree qualified me to teach elementary students and equip them with necessary skills to become a lifelong learner; I believe that a mastery of my content area is required to provide students the best approaches and current researched methods. Along with mastery of knowledge comes the high price tag of continuing education. The Boeing Science Scholarship will help to alleviate a portion of the cost associated with higher education and allow me to continue developing in education so that ultimately I will be the most qualified and knowledgeable teacher possible."

Paul Davis pictured below teaches 7^th grade advanced math at Meridianville Middle School in Madison County. Paul said, "This year I have been given several Advanced classes [to teach]. I would love to be able to not only show my students 'how to' work their math but to apply what they learn as well. .....I love math! I am AMSTI trained and this past summer I took part in the new A+ [College Ready] training that is laying the foundation for students to prepare for AP courses. I feel as if I would be a better teacher for these Advanced courses if I could take and complete these classes."

The Laura Hall Scholarship, reserved for teachers in a Title I school, was given to Candace Gamble pictured below with Rep. Laura Hall, an English Language Learners teacher who teaches children in three schools- University Place, Jones Valley and Martin Luther King Elementary. Candace said in her application, "This is my second Master's Degree so I will not receive a pay increase upon completion of this degree, but I felt the coursework would be beneficial to the program development in Huntsville City Schools, the students I serve at my schools, and to me personally as I strive to become a better professional.´

The Jenice Riley Scholarship

Donna Lancaster pictured below of the Academy of Arts and Academics received the Jenice Riley Scholarship, an award set aside for teachers in grades K-3 and named to honor the late daughter of Alabama Governor Bob and Patsy Riley. "Each and every day I realize how important the continuation of my desire to learn relates directly to my teaching and my students' learning. I am a life-long learner and therefore I am constantly looking for ways to improve my craft."

Please click here to view the original press release with photos: tsf_2009_scholarship_winners