Questions submitted by meeting participants and answered by Concordia.
1. Given recently reported budget cuts affecting the state DOE, can you
give us hints of how Juliet Page obtained large multi-year grants for New
Orleans?
AS JULIET IS KNOWN FOR SAYING, YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO TAKE TO
FOUNDATIONS WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD PROJECT. FOUNDATIONS DID LOSE
RESOURCES IN THE MARKET CRASH BUT MANY HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE
THEN. AND, FOUNDATIONS MUST GIVE AWAY MONEY BUT ARE A BIT MORE
DISCRIMINATORY MAKING IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A VERY STRONG
PROJECT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT AND BEGIN TO BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE FOUNDATIONS.
2. Do you have any experiences with military schools (i.e. schools
located on a military installation?) If so, could you please share best
practices, challenges results?
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SCHOOLS ON MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS, HOWEVER, WE DO NOT IMAGINE THAT THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SCHOOLS OF GOOD DESIGN THAT SUPPORTS TEACHING AND
LEARNING SHOULD BE DIFFERENT IN THESE SITUATIONS. GIVEN THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY OF NEW SCHOOLS ON SOME OF THE MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN
HAWAII, WE WILL DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN.
3. The biggest barrier to change is the state bureaucracy (regulations, process, procurement). How
did other communities address these challenges?
OUR EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US, AGAIN AND AGAIN, THAT WHEN THECOMMUNITY IS
AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGED, AND BY THAT WE MEAN A REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THROUGH AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, THEY
CREATE SOUND AND RESPONSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ISSUES AT HAND. IF
THE NUMBER OF CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES ARE SIGNIFICANT THEN IT US USUALLY
NOT HARD TO GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENTAL DECISION
MAKERS.
4. Reflection: Wish there could be a physical and facility link with military command and military impacted schools.
MAYBE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IS TO DEVELOP A WEBSITE THAT CAN BE A
RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY LINK FOR ALL SCHOOLS IN HAWAII.
5. How can planning process take into account the inevitable changes that
will take place in a community over the long term?
PLANNING IS AN ONGOING PROCESS. WE BELIEVE THE KEY IS BUILDING UP COMMUNITY
BASED COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP SO THAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED
AND ABLE TO ADDRESS PLAN MODIFICATIONS AND CHANCES WHEN THEY ARE
NEEDED AND APPROPRIATE. IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE’VE WORKED,
PEOPLE CONTINUE TO MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO ADDRESS WHATEVER ISSUES ARE
IMPORTANT AT THAT TIME.
6. Have you tried this approach outside the US? Differences,similarities?
WE HAVE NOT BUT WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO
SHARE OUR IDEAS AND PROCESSES AND HAVE RECEIVED MUCH SUPPORT.