Partnerships are the Path: Some Strategies for Building Effective Partnerships in School Communities

 

I’ve been studying partnerships.  As a first year principal I realized very quickly that leading a school community toward continued and enhanced excellence is not something that I can do alone.  It’s become exceedingly clear that my intention to drive a culture of positive progress though joyful teaching and learning requires comprehensive collaboration among all stakeholders.  The building and sustaining of genuine partnerships seem to be a boon for that mission.

So, partnerships have been my focus.  Over the past fifteen weeks of research, practice, and reflective processing I’ve moved forward, backward, and even sideways.  Though it all, I’ve remained dedicated to my own learning and growth, and to the application of the skills and strategies that I’m picking up along the way.  That dedication continues to strengthen and unfold upon itself as each indicator of progress fills me with increased enthusiasm and assurance that partnerships truly are the path.

As one component of my study I had the privilege of interviewing four of my colleagues who also serve as building principals:  Ben Gilpin (@benjamingilpin), Michele Corbat (@MicheleCorbat), Jim Lalik (@jimlalik), and Tony Sinanis (@TonySinanis).  The individuals in this amazing group range in experience from first year to veteran, and they come with varied and rich backgrounds in educational leadership and intentional partnering.  One of the commonalities among them is that they each have well-recognized and celebrated track records of highly effective collaborative development.  As expected, the insights and ideas that they put forth though this interview series were relevant, practical, and applicable.  The following sections represent my initial reflections on some of those collective insights and ideas.

It’s not always pretty.  There are times when partnerships work extremely well and there are times when internal and external complications challenge the foundation and effectiveness of those partnerships.  During the course of any give school year there are good times and bad.  Sometimes our individual and collective challenges are overt and visible to everyone involved and sometimes they are hidden.

For educational leaders concerned with the ongoing development of partnerships a focus on understanding that which can and can’t be controlled is very powerful.  What is it that we have a choice in?  While we’re not able to wish challenges away, we can decide how to respond to them and how to carry ourselves as we do.  It’s during difficult times that our core values must shine through.  Maintaining a positive attitude, being the constant stabilizing factor (even through perceived chaos), and holding a positive/growth attitude are each critical to influencing a genuine culture of collaboration.

Building trust takes time, effective communication, and a serious commitment to listening.  No matter how genuine a leader is in his/her intentions to be open, trustworthy, and supportive, people are naturally cautious in the beginning of relationships.  All stakeholders in any school community come to the table with a lot a stake.  Students of all ages carry the weight of tremendous expectations for learning, growth, and achievement; parents entrust educators with the most important people in their lives (their children); and regardless of school culture, in some ways teachers have to consider their employment while they interact with leadership through the year.   Real pressures for all involved.

When principals come from other roles in their school communities there can be a history of relationship building that serves them well in efforts to generate trusting partnerships, but even in such situations, the title and the often-perceived evaluative nature of interactions calls for somewhat of a fresh start.  School leaders must work hard to show their stakeholders that they are authentic in striving for effective partnerships.  Therefore, three key ingredients for positive progress in partnerships are patience with the fact that it takes time (years in some cases), reflection and intentionality surrounding communication strategies, and an ever-increasing ability to listening in ways that demonstrate a deep value for the thoughts, ideas, and concerns of others.

Surround yourself with incredible people and give them space to be incredible.  Principals focused on a culture of partnerships recruit and hire well, but they don’t stop there.  They go on to develop and maintain communities in which people feel comfortable letting their talents shine through the multiple roadblocks that often creep inadvertently into organizational structures.  From disconnectedness to control concerns, it can be all to easy to carelessly stifle potential.

Partnerships that lead to capacity building allow for a balance of control and credit.  When the focus of a school community is truly aimed at student achievement and wellbeing it doesn’t matter who comes up with the great ideas and the connected plans, just that they do.   Effective principals make sure that those ideas are heard, and that those plans are implemented without having to be credited.  Trust is a two way street and humility is a critical component of genuine collaboration.

With the above thoughts and idea, here’s a list of some other concepts that you might consider as you work to build genuine partnerships with the stakeholders in your school community:

  • Shared leadership committees
  • Early release time for teacher collaboration
  • 1:1 meetings with individual stakeholders
  • Shared planning/instruction (including with administrators)
  • Town hall style meetings with parent/student groups
  • Collaborative service projects
  • Transparency
  • Opportunity to share personal/professional “stories”
  • Effective digital presence (Twitter, Google Docs, Voxer, etc.)
  • Shared visioning
  • Consistency
  • A learning and growth paradigm
  • Opportunities for critical reflection
  • Awareness by all stakeholders
  • A genuine feeling of togetherness
  • Modeling of process
  • Concise and consistent messaging focused on common values and goals
  • The clear communication of expectations

Live. Learn. Lead.

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Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.

2 comments

  1. Christie Flayhart

    Effective partnerships with parents are critical in our work with their children. As you indicated, we work with their most valuable assets every day! Though I am not in a school building, I am honored to work with a parent advisory group – the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council – for our district. What had once been a contentious relationship has become our most valuable support system under our current director. Having shared vision, common understandings, and a goal of working together for the good of students with disabilities, we have found a partnership that makes our work not only easier, but also more successful.

    Thank you for sharing these strategies, and for suggesting that, while it isn’t always easy, it is critical that we work closely to form partnerships with our parents.

    • bergseye

      Sounds like a wonderful council Christie! I think it’s so important to remember that the process you mentioned – from contentious to “our most valuable support system” – is a process. We all care deeply about the students that we serve and we each have their safety and wellbeing in mind. When we put our heads together with good intentions and open hearts/minds good things happen! Even when we have to “go slow to go fast” – we should celebrate that we’re going in right directions! Thanks for the insightful contribution Christie!

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