PartnershipsJoel Nitzbergjoelknitzberg@comcast.net

Schools

Family

Community

“Given the crisis faced today by all children, many of whom are

struggling to beat insurmountable odds, it is time for our

society to look at what we can do to make parents’ jobs easier

and how we can change some of the things we are doing

that are making it more difficult than necessary to raise

children.”

Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund

Families: the challenges, hopes and potentials

• Every family is unique. Every family is a distinctive blend of personalities and biological, cultural, economic and social influences which change over time.

• “America must find better ways to enable children and families to develop their potential. To do this, America needs to build communities where learning can happen – communities that have economic and physical resources and a profamily system of education and human services that will support children and families in their efforts to succeed.” Page 6 Together We Can.

• In communities with a weakened infrastructure and where families have few resources, a profamily system of education and human services is critical. At the same time the best service delivery system is no substitute for a strong economy, safe streets, affordable housing, available transportation, efficient municipal services, active civic participation, and family resiliency.

• Understand strengths and barriers that impact development. What prevents people from achieving goals? Look at families, schools and the community in terms of the obstacles involved in forming partnership. Understand the processes that impact relationships and problem solving.

• What is occurring re: blaming people and institutions? We need to identify same areas of concern and understand the gains when resources are pulled in. What are the barriers that obstruct partnerships and the utilization of the strengths of families and family-centered practices?

Schools, social programs, and caring individuals can compensate for stressful environments and troubled families.

When you read the histories of children from impoverished neighborhoods:

• The first thing that strikes you is the stunning number of obstacles they face – the hundreds of tiny curves where it’s possible for them to fall off a tightrope that’s much higher and narrower than any path more privileged children have to tread.

• The second realization you have is how small the difference between success and failure can be.

• The third is how resilient people can be – so many people are survivors.

• The fourth realization is how important it is to be respectful of the strengths and knowledge which do exist in those communities.

The challenge will be how to tap into and utilize those strengths and knowledge.

What are the

roles of parents?

• Attend school events

• Use effective parenting styles

• Bolster self esteem, help to motivate

• Provide daily experiences for learning

• Help with, & monitor school assignments

• Establish home structures that support learning

• Create effective communication within the home

• Connect one’s child to resources in the community

• Encourage learning as something valued in the family

• Establish communication and relationships with the school

Roles of parents

What are the strengths that parents have available, and the barriers that impede people from achieving goals? Looking at families, schools and the community in terms of the obstacles involved in forming partnerships.

Blame

What is the blame that parents (and workers) receive for children not succeeding?

• Schools (agencies) blame parents for not caring, not following through, not making sure the children are doing their work

• Parents blame workers for not understanding, not spending enough time, not individualizing the work

Same

What do they have in common?

• Both parents and personnel want kids and families to succeed

• Parents and workers have skills and may have experiences in common

Gain

What resources do they have that could be helpful to one another?

• Parents have skills and connections to the community

• Workers could provide information to parents on how to help their children and how to use resources effectively

All people and all families have strengths.

• All families need and deserve support. The type and degree of support each family needs varies throughout the life span.

• Most successful families are not dependent on long-term public support. Neither are they isolated. They maintain a healthy interdependence with extended family, friends, other people, spiritual organizations, cultural and community groups, schools and agencies, private enterprises, and the natural environment.

• Diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, class, family form, religion, physical and mental ability, age, sexual orientation) is an important reality in our society, and is valuable. Family and school workers need to develop competence in working effectively with people who may be different from them or come from groups that are often not respected in our society.

• Families need coordinated services in which all the agencies they work with use a similar approach. Collaboration at the agency, local, state, and federal levels is crucial to effective family development.

• The deficit model of family assistance, in which families must show inadequacy in order to receive services (and professionals decide what is best for families), is counterproductive to helping families move toward self-sufficiency.

• Changing from the deficit model to the family development approach requires a whole new way of thinking about social services, not simply more new programs. Individual workers cannot make this shift without corresponding policy changes at agency, local, state, and federal levels.

• Families and family development workers are equally important partners in the empowerment process, with each contributing important knowledge. Workers learn as much as the families from the process.

• Families must choose their own goals and methods of achieving them. Family and school workers' roles include assisting families in setting reachable goals for their own self-reliance, providing access to services needed to reach these goals, and offering encouragement.

• Services are provided in order for families to reach their goals, and are not themselves a measure of success. New methods of evaluating agency effectiveness are needed to measure family and community outcomes, not just the number of services provided.

• In order for families to move out of dependency, helping systems must shift from a "power over" to a "power with" paradigm. Workers have power (which they may not recognize) because they participate in the distribution of valued resources. Workers can use that power to work with families rather than use power over them.

Some basic assumptions:

• All families want their children to succeed.

• Primary responsibility for the development and well-being of the children lies within the family, and all segments of society must support families as they rear their children.

• Assuring the well-being of all families is the cornerstone of a healthy society and requires universal access to support programs and services.

• Children and families exist as part of an ecological system.

• Child-rearing patterns are influenced by parents’ understanding of child development and their children’s unique characteristics, personal sense of competence, and cultural and community traditions and mores.

• Enabling families to build on their own strengths and capacities promotes the healthy development of children.

• The developmental processes that make up parenthood and family life create needs that are unique at each stage in the life span.

• Families are empowered when they have access to information and other resources and take action to improve the well-being of children, families, and communities.

Family Functions

Economic Security• Money for necessities• Budgeting for financial needs• Money for the future• Stable income• Special occasions, vacations

Safe Physical Environment• Adequate housing• Safe neighborhood (protection)• Adequate heat and water• Organized home with routines• A home free of physical danger• A home free of abuse

Health Care• Adequate and balanced diet• Clean clothes for each season• Routine medical and dental care• Emergency care

Child Development• Validation• Promotion of self-esteem• Helps through the rough times and to appreciate

the good times• Educational opportunities

• Monitors and guides to develop habits• Reinforcement of language, behavior, and social skills• Transmission of culture• Transmission of values

Emotional Support• Listens• Plays• Laughs• Positive intra-family relationships• Positive relationships outside the family• Nurtures• Loves• Hugs• Shows compassion• Forgives • Discusses• Companionship• Sense of belonging to family• Sense of belonging to other groups• Opportunities to spend time with significant others• Shares and promotes optimism for the future• Remembers

Empowerment: the opposite of the “deficit” model

• The goal of family development is empowerment of families and the communities they live in, so families will be able to reach their goals of health and self-reliance.

• Empowerment is a dynamic process through which families reach their own goals. No one can "empower" someone else. Empowering families means helping families reclaim their ability to dream, and to restore their own capacity to take good care of themselves.

• This also means helping communities, states, and nations to create the conditions through which families can reach their own goals, which may mean changing service provider systems.

• Empowerment is not a one-time goal to be attained. It is an ongoing process, which feeds itself and the empowerment of others. When one member of a family becomes more self reliant, the rest of the family, and their community, also benefits.

The deficit model of family assistance

• The model focuses on a family's weaknesses

• It sets as the primary goal getting them off public services.

• Not very many agencies or family workers realize they use the deficit approach.

• The current human service system has been influenced by the medical system, where expert doctors diagnose people's problems and prescribe treatment.

• It forces families to show what is wrong before they can get the services they need.

• In school this is often translated to looking at the problems that individual students display, rather than on what those students are doing that is successful.

In the empowerment approach, we assume that family members know best what their problems are, and that they will be most successful in accomplishing plans they create.

The worker's role is to assist them in recognizing their strengths and challenges, and to support that planning process, which may require teaching the process.

MEDICAL/DEFICIT ECOLOGICAL/PARTNERSHIP

Crisis-oriented Prevention/promotion

Diagnose and label Understand the family's problem from their perspective, and build

on family strengths and values

Professionals determine Professionals/parents share strategies &intervention strategies, knowledge & design

action plans

Problems are categorized Services are comprehensive Services are fragmented

Limited focus on Focus on creating empowering environments environment

Family Support Bill of Rights

All people have the right to be treated with kindness, respect, and consideration under all conditions and situations.

All people have the right to be treated with dignity and respect by the institutions and individuals that assist them to resolve economic, work, health, and educational issues.

All people have the right to be spoken to with simple courtesy.

All people have the right to have access to second opinions concerning their lives and conditions.

All people have the right to representation on the governing boards of the agencies that serve their communities.

TherapyRecyclingCenters

ElectronicStores

Churches

CommunityNewspapers

EmploymentTraining Gym

Health Center

TransportationServicesPharmacies

Supermarket

Hotlines

Convenience Stores

Group Homes

HobbyClubs

GasCompany

Cable TV

CareerCenter

Radio & TVStations

Higher EdClasses

CollegeServices

Shelters

ReligiousAssociations

Telephone Company

HardwareStores

Neighbors

PublicHousing

FireDepartment

PublicAccess TV

HealthClinic

AddictionTreatment

AlternativeCare

PlanningOffice

Museums

NatureCenters

Chamber of Commerce

Friends ofFriends

Book Stores

Realtor

Meals onWheels

Volunteer Groups

StudentVolunteers

Department of Public Works

Family Resource Center

HousingServices

FoodPantry

Welfare

MovieTheater

BowlingAlley

Banks

VideoStore

EntertainmentCenterEthnic

Association

ExtendedFamily

NursingHomes

PoliceParks

SocialSecurity

AutoMechanics

AmusementPark

CarpentersHairDressers

NutritionalServices Hospital

Electricians

Family

Play Groups

HeadStart

After SchoolPrograms

YouthPrograms

SchoolsParentInformationCenter

ElectricCompany

Community Center

Restaurants

Playgrounds

Library

Friends

City Hall

QUESTIONS TO ASK

• What is a community?

• Why do you need to get to know your community?

• What is a community description?

• Why should you write a community description?

• How can you use a community description?

• When should you write a community description?

• What are the basic principles for learning about a community?

• How do you go about gaining an understanding of your community?

• How do you write your community description?

Defining a community

A community is a set of people bound together by common interests, goals, problems or practices, in some shared system.

Community n. 1. Common possession or enjoyment; participation; as, a

community of goods. 2. A body of people having common rights, privileges, or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations; as, a community of monks. Hence a number of animals living in a common home or with some apparent association of interests. 3. Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic; the public, or people in general. 4. Common character; likeness. 5. Commonness; frequency.

A unified body of individuals: as a : STATE, COMMONWEALTH b : the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly : the area itself (the problems of a large community) c : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location d : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society (a community of retired persons) e : a group linked by a common policy f : a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests (the international community) g : a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society (academic community).

Things to consider

• geographic boundaries • how long the community has existed• general history • key people and leaders• demographics• expenses and income • important issues• morale & involvement levels• key allies and rivals

Basic principles for understanding the community

• View the community as the teacher and yourself as the student• There is not always cause-and-effect logic for social interactions• Question the accuracy of all information

What is a community?

While we traditionally think of a community as meaning the people in a given geographical location, it can really mean any group sharing something in common.

Most often what we share with others is:

• locale

• experiences

• interests

Example: Communities within a community

1.the faith community 2.the arts community 3.the African American community 4.the education community 5.the business community 6.the homeless community 7.the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community 8.the medical community 9.the Native American community 10.the elderly community

...and of course, a city or town may be referred to as a community.

What is a collaboration?

Continuum of Collaboration Definitions

Cooperation Coordination Collaboration

Relationship-only mutual

agreement-more formal

agreement-deliberately designed

Mission/Goals

-work together on joint goals-no commonly defined mission, structure or planning effort

-work together on program specific goals-more compatible missions

-solve common problems;-solutions emerge from dealing constructively with difference;-mutual benefit

Risk -limited risk -limited risk -high risk

Resource Sharing-some resources and

rewards shared-some resources and

rewards shared-shared risks, responsibilities, and

rewards.

Investment -limited -limited-sustained relationship and effort;

-more durable and pervasive

Process -focused -focused -emergent

Why collaborate?

People and groups have common agendas and interests in addressing concerns about their community.

Working together will result in greater rewards than what an individual can accomplish alone.

Different talents and networks are brought into the process to fuel a project or turn an idea into action.

People have a commitment to make change happen.

Problems are complex

People learn from one another

More resources are available

People are energized by one another

There is diversity of input

Ownership brings change

Alliances are built for other issues

People know people and where they are

Also,

• Diversity of membership, experience and opinion is accepted and celebrated

• Ground rules are established

• Structures are easily understood and followed

• Everyone feels useful

• Decisions are based on a strategic plan

• Even small successes are celebrated

• Balance is created between process and action

• Leaders are identified

Elements of a successful coalition

• Tasks, obstacles and solutions are fully understood

• Dynamics of change is understood and change occurs based on the lessons learned

• Members develop skills in speaking, listening running meetings, and establishing structures

• Linkages are created with political structures, media and others in the community who can influence change

• Demonstrate any impacts that are made

• Efforts are sustained and successes celebrated

Values, mission and vision guide the actions of individuals, teams and organizations. Together they form an organization's identity, inform strategy and inspire commitment. Values

Mission

Vision

Setting Direction: Values, Mission and Vision

Definition Example: Stay in School Campaign

Values Beliefs or judgments about what is worthy, important or desirable that are reflected in individual and organizational behavior.

Universal education, civic responsibility, raising healthy children.

Mission A task, purpose, calling of an individual, team or organization.

To increase the high school graduation rate of students in the metropolitan school district.

Vision An image of the mission accomplished, the ideal future state.

Our classrooms will be filled with children who enjoy learning, feel accomplished, and have high self-esteem. They grow into healthy and productive adults.

What can be done?

Provide parents with information and opportunities to discuss and share with others.

Provide activities and learning events that are comfortable and familiar.

Use hands-on activities to offer real experiences.

Show how to use simple and affordable activities to provide meaningful experiences.

Connect what happens in the classroom to the home.

Provide information on how the home and daily living can be used as learning enhancements & reinforcements.

Use community such as supermarkets and libraries to connect to parents. resources

Provide follow-through and next steps to further support parents.

Stages of Parent Involvement*

• OBSERVER: watches what is happening (passive stage)

• LEARNER: takes an active learning role with staff members and/or other parents, but generally wishes to be told what to do (relatively passive)

• COLLABORATOR: works in concert with staff, both giving and receiving assistance (team approach)

• TEACHER: seeks out methods or materials to use with own children

• LEADER: has greater involvement in the lives of others; involved in policy-making and decision-making

• CHANGE AGENT: believes in self; awareness of role in community; questions methodologies; implements change; seeks improvement (highest level)

*Presented at the Puget Sound Educational Service District

Parent/Family Involvement Institute, August, 1997.

Museums

Community Organizations

Libraries

Faith Groups

Graduates

Individuals in the community

Family Centers

Adult Basic Ed

SchoolsHome

Communities

Higher Education

Teachers

School Administrators

School Council

Health Clinics

Media

Students

Who are the partners in education that can support families?

Students Students

Home Schools

Communities

Businesses

Support Staff

H.S. Community Service

Family Members/Foster parents/Grandparents

Communities

Parents

Students

Schools

Education is a joint effort by parents, students, schools and communities.

Collaboration results inStudent AchievementFamily HealthSchool SuccessCommunity Development

Think about the community.

Who should be at the table to create &

support parent involvement