8/6/2019 FACET Summary

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FaithandCommunity

forEducationTransformation

TheIssue: In the 11 square mile area that comprises West Dallas, poverty and unemployment are more than

double that of the city of Dallas. Fewer than 50% of residents have a high school diploma. Ten public schools

serve the area; four are rated Exemplary or Recognized, but the academic performance of many students at

middle and high school levels remains poor. Only about 1% of the students in the Class of 2009 at Pinkston

High School (the only West Dallas high school) scored high enough on the SAT to indicate readiness for

college.

The Response: In 2009, the West Dallas Education Task Force a joint effort between community-based

organizations and faith groups, West Dallas principals, DISD, DCCCD, SMU, other educators, the Dallas business

community and concerned citizens engaged in education reform at the local and national level - committed to a

collaborative transformation initiative built upon open dialogue, volunteerism and community engagement. A

set of strategies for education transformation was developed by the Task Force and is now known as the

Collaborativefor Schools (part two of the three-part West Dallas Community Collaborative for Schools, Jobs

and Housing). One of the key strategies of the Collaborative is powerful parent and community advocacy.

A Powerful Advocacy Movement: DFCC is leading a movement to reinforce the efforts of low-income

parents to secure a quality education for their children in the West Dallas Schools by backing them with support

Faith and Community for Education Transformation (FACET) is a network of

volunteers from faith communities across Dallas speaking up to decision makers in support of quality education.

Modeled after Prepare the Future, a very successful advocacy initiative founded by Dr. David Hornbeck, former

Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia, FACETis a companion to Parent Action Groups for Education (PAGE),

which recruits and trains parents to lead the drive for excellent public schools by helping them become actively

.

Action Groups are the key strategy for building a powerful public voice through FACET. Through Action Groups

formed by faith community volunteers and interested citizens, participants learn about the challenges in urbanAmerican education and different approaches for addressing them; learn how to conduct effective meetings and

public conversations; and develop leadership and communication skills that allow them to build trust among

participants and resolve conflict. They work with Dallas ISD to support parent engagement in schools and other

reform measures. Working with principals, district senior management, district program staff and Trustees, they

develop a shared action agenda to drive reforms necessary to ensure a future full of hope and possibilities for

FACET captains attend PAGE training with West Dallas parents, to foster

transformational relationships.

FACETmembers build relationships with legislators because they are a valuable resource for sharing information

building contact networks. FACETmembers also engage in the public dialogue about education reform through

an email Action Alert system, which can be used to communicate bi-partisan candidate information when an

education-related matter is at issue, and which also allows members to engage in lobbying activity withinpermissible limits for nonprofit organizations.

TheImpact: Eleven faith communities from West Dallas and the city at large are now forming Action Groups.

DFCC will enlist 25-30 additional congregations in FACET by the end of 2011. (After a theater screening of

www.waitingforsuperman.com- several individuals also formed Action Groups.) The

result will be mobilization ofover 5,000 citizens united in their determination to transform education in West

Dallas and across the city - a powerful voice for children all year long.

To learn more about DFCC, please visit our website atwww.dfcc.usor follow us on Twitter and Facebook

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