Organizations tend to face many unique challenges. One of these challenges, especially in schools, is building a sense of community. Thomas J. Sergiovanni’s Building Community in Schools, first published in 1994, asserts that in order for schools to improve in any and all aspects of the school environment, the school should first place an emphasis on community building. Sergiovanni was a professor of education at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he taught in the school leadership program and in the teacher education program. He worked in the education field from the time of his graduation from the State University of New York in 1958 until his retirement in 2009. During that time, he authored more than 30 textbooks and journal articles.
Throughout Building Community in Schools, Sergiovanni repeatedly refers to two Russian terms: gemeinschaft (community) and gesellschaft (society). He uses these terms in order to better describe the community building process within schools. The main theme of this book is that every person within a school plays an important role in how effective the school can become by building on the basic premise that a team can accomplish much more than an individual. The author touches on how we are losing a sense of community and why this is not in the best interest of our children. He also expounds on the importance of community building, not only in schools, but why it is essential to our development as human beings. This book is a must read for any educator as it gives great insight into the importance of community in education.
The book starts with a preface in which Sergiovanni builds the framework for the importance of community in schools. Sergiovanni states that when a school has a sense of community it “lifts both teachers and students to higher levels of understanding, commitment, and performance—beyond the reaches of the shortcomings and difficulties they face in their everyday lives.” Once again, this is the basic premise for the entire book: that more can be accomplished by a team than an individual.
The beginning of the book focuses on how community loss has come about, how it is affecting our schools, and why it is important to rebuild community.
Lincoln High School, which is located in a low-income neighborhood in San Diego, was a rebuilt after 50 years of failing to educate children. Rebuilding the high school was the answer the community had been looking for they were hopeful. Before the rebuild most students who attended Lincoln did not meet the standards for their grade-level, few graduated and even fewer went go on to college. After years of suffering and neglect there was little doubt That Lincoln High School deserved the $129 million it received from the city to rebuild. But was rebuilding the school the solution for Lincoln High School 's education problem? First we’ll examine, How the problem started, the decision making steps and if the plan was successful.
The first step Will Wonkermann took to develop a cooperative community was recognizing that there was a problem at his school. After that, he initiated a meeting with his curriculum team. He started the meeting by asking a question and allowing the team members to provide feedback. Mr. Wonkermann
Administrators must also take into consideration the persons whom the school will serve, including the students, parents, teachers, and community members. Each person who comes into regular contact with the school. Individuals each bring with them a separate sense of person, worth, and culture that is formed by membership in multiple communities consisting of work, school, religion, and social circles. It is within these communities that persons find a sense of belonging which perpetuates the order and cooperative function of schools. When persons lack a sense of belonging, they will resort to their own subculture, which may go against what the school culture is trying to promote.
2. Talk the walk - teachers using “common language and transparent actions” for deep and important school improvement and student learning. (87-88)
It also showed us that value in education comes in different forms. For example, students like DeAndre valued education but didn’t think the education he was receiving was the best approach for him. It may appear the DeAndre was uninterested in learning but in reality he was interested in learning things that could help and resonated with his cultural history. I was enlightened by the way this article helped to highlight different types of students in a positive light. I resonate with this article because I went to a high school where students were labeled as noncompliant or “acting white”. I fell that more educators should read this article to get a well-rounded view of all their students especially those in the minority community. Furthermore, after reading this article I began to brainstorm alternatives to making school more appealing to all categories of students. According to the Boston Globe a new idea called community schools are entering discussions about better school models. The Boston Globe defines community schools as “both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities”. This idea sounds great to me because not only does it address the needs of the student
When a school receives a negative or unsatisfactory rating it will be important that as an administrator we do not hide but rather face the problem head on. If we try to dodge those who are concerned it will only lead to more anger and fractured relationships. It is important that we focus on maintaining and improving upon our relationships. We need to capture the communities and parents trust through our actions toward improvement which can be supported by data. Per, Maze of Mistrust Parents, Educators, and the Challenge of Public Engagement business groups, local government officials, taxpayers, and civic organizations were sometimes clamoring for change and often mystified by what the schools were up to. Now is the time that we must
We will house kids who are products of all facets of society. For example, children of immigrants, children who have affluence, children who are loved and cared for greatly and children who may be in a situation of neglect. Teaching is about reaching out to each student, helping them to overcome challenges and be the best that they can be. It seems that an increasing number of these challenges may not be academic in nature. I believe that conquering these challenges actually beings with the little community forming within our classrooms. As teachers we have the obligation to teach our students how to have respect and compassion for one another. How to be on the same team and work together, no matter each person’s background.
The personal stories shared in the chapter provide a more extensive explanation as to why the state should reconsider consolidating the school. On page 52, the school’s coach describes the relationship between the school and community: “The school’s kind of a focal point; anything that happens in the community is going to happen in the cafeteria, or it’s going to occur here in the gym” (Tieken 2014). Another account describes the school’s value as “That cemetery dinner is not a school event; it’s a community event, but the school is the place to have it” (Tieken 2014, 53). The narrative provides evidence on the subject of building rapport between school systems and groups of individuals of Delight.
Busch Middle School of Character had a wonderful sense of community, each student, instructor, and family, made sure they were doing their part. I believe it’s important for educators to understand the needs of the families and community of their students because the more resources the better. When schools actively involve parents
W. Edwars Deming, American engineer and management consultant, wrote “a bad system will beat a good person every time.” This quote demonstrates the necessity for a school administrator to establish a school culture that is inviting and characterized by collaboration. In order to intentionally create a welcoming and collaborative school climate, clear, frequent, and inclusive communication is fundamental. Families, staff, and community members should be afforded the opportunity to become involved in enhancing student learning, the decision making processes of the school, and meaningful school-based activities. Opening the lines of communication about possible involvement at a school promotes a good system, in which good people can thrive.
Because of the imperfections evident in my high school and deeply rooted in the city’s and state’s allocation of education funding it has become clear to me why I love my high school community so much. It is not the material possessions that we have (because compared to nearby cities and town like Newport, Mansfield, or even North Attleboro we are definitely lacking), or the quality of education that we receive (because I was forced into taking more electives this year than I have over the past three years combined due to scheduling issues and overcrowded classes), but our ability to come together in times of need, put aside our differences, and facilitate positive change. Though we have our differences and fights break out or names are called, when serious issues
In light of accountability requirements, fear of not meeting AYP (Annual Yearly Progress), and required school improvement plans, often the idea of “school improvement” is considered a negative attribute. Obviously schools do not want to be singled out or identified as in need of improvement. Teachers often take the same view towards the idea of improvement. We as teachers take very personal that concept of improvement; we often parallel the need for improvement to failure. However my belief is that effective schools are always in a school improvement process and effective teachers too also are constantly adapting their practice in a culture of continuous improvement and growth. Therefore it is important as an effective leader to build a community of trust and collaboration. I quote “We are all in this together. Once we know that we are, we’re all stars and we see that we’re all in this together.” (Disney High School Musical, 2006) These lyrics from a popular Disney movie put to light exactly the school culture where the goal is not personal but as a community to use data driven and research based approaches in reflection and growth that assist all stakeholders.
During my second preclinical experience at Westview Hills Middle School, I learned the importance of cooperation and collaboration among teachers at a school. I was able to observe team and department meetings during this experience. It became clear that it is important for teachers to work together in order to provide a positive atmosphere at a school and in a specific department. Although it became obvious that personalities and teaching styles were different throughout the school, the teachers still acted professionally and used each other as resources in
In order for the principal to develop positive relationships within the community the school needs to demonstrate, and promote the contributions provided. The school needs to adopt an “our children” attitude with the community to share in the benefits for students (Epstein, 2009).
In any collaborative environment, an open-line of communication is a critical factor. Communication is a two way interaction of listening and speaking in turn. One speaks while the other listens for true comprehension is a key factor. One must get an understanding before the vision can be implemented within any leadership role. The presence of collaboration in schools are the result of principals, educators, parents, and administrative leadership in working as a team. The purpose of this essay is to explain the importance of teacher leadership, the principal 's role in developing teacher leaders, and their connection to the development of a collaborative culture in schools.