Collaboration among policymakers, unions, community organizations, individuals and the Department of Education is essential to the success of every student. The following platform identifies policy and action priorities intended to promote student success through community engagement.
To support greater teacher, family and student engagement in our schools, we promote:
- A common, research-based understanding of family engagement;
- Greater DOE accountability for family engagement through multiple measures;
- The enhancement, implementation and ongoing evaluation of Family Engagement Policies by the Board of Education;
- The enhancement, implementation and ongoing evaluation of Family Engagement Guidelines by the Department of Education;
- The prioritization of family engagement as a component of school leadership training and teacher preparation.
To strengthen relationships between teachers, staff, students, families and communities by building trust and removing obstacles, we promote:
- Policies, programs and activities that reduce teacher/staff turnover through comprehensive teacher recruitment, induction, mentoring and professional development;
- Enhancement of existing certification and development of alternate pathways for aspiring teachers within and outside of the education field;
- The enhancement of existing principal leadership training and the development of alternative pathways to school leadership;
- The implementation of culturally appropriate, place-based pedagogy supported by comprehensive teacher professional development and assessment;
- The development, use and dissemination of progressive student assessment such as longitudinal data systems and growth model metrics to evaluate student achievement.
To more efficiently deliver social services to increase student and family readiness for success, we promote:
- Better coordination of community services at the school and Complex levels;
- Greater transparency and improved access to services through information sharing;
- Strengthening of School-level Community Councils (SCCs);
- Establishment of Complex Community Councils (CCCs).