At ASCD's Annual Conference this past spring, two facts about the state of education stood out. The first is that educators are feeling buffeted on many fronts—fired en masse from broken schools, accused of being overpaid and overprotected despite their middleclass salaries, and blasted by policymakers, media, and corporate types who profess to know more about the schools than educators do. When educators protest the bashing, they are labeled as "the establishment," "selfish," and "against reform."
A second reality, however, was also evident: Educators want to make their schools better. This was reflected in the fact that 10,000 educators were attending and presenting more than 500 sessions about how to improve policy and practice—despite cutbacks and lack of resources. Whether they were investigating how 21st century learning skills could revolutionize students' school experience, examining how to implement new research findings about literacy, or seeking ways to attract and retain the best teachers in their districts, educators were optimistically and enthusiastically looking at what they could do in and outside classrooms to improve.
But most educators know that they can't do it alone. Yes, the single most important school-based factor in a child's education is the quality of the teacher, but in our complex society, other institutions and individuals are also responsible—and have enormous stakes in the outcome. Families and community members—those very people who, when polled, voice their support of their local school but not always of schools in general—are the team members educators most need to enlist.
This theme issue of Educational Leadership is about why and how to join forces with families and communities. As Jamie Vollmer tells us (p. 69), no matter how hard teachers and administrators work, they cannot fulfill society's enormous list of demands for schools without addressing the four basics of public sentiment: understanding, trust, permission, and support.
Vollmer advocates launching "the Great Conversation," an ongoing discussion between educators and the public about what leads to increased child well-being and student success. The Great Conversation runs on both an informal and a formal track. The informal track means that those who work in schools must speak up for schools, put good news forward, and let the general public know what educators do every day. The formal track involves knowing the community, listening to their needs, voicing the message, and building teams to work together.
Developing long-lasting reciprocal relations is not the same as devising public relations strategies, however, as Larry Ferlazzo notes (p. 10). Engaging stakeholders means truly sharing the power. "Power is not a finite pie," he writes. "When the whole pie gets bigger, more possibilities are created."
Conference presenters agreed that families and communities are essential allies for public schools. In a session titled "Protecting Public Schools in an Era of Privatization," members of the Horace Mann League warned that putting up a good defense is no substitute for taking the initiative. "Too often we wait until the budget is threatened or legislation is about to pass and let others set the agenda for schools," James Harvey said. And when lies masquerade as truth, "Where are our rebuttals?" he asked. Quoting an old proverb, he reminded his audience that "A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth puts its shoes on."
Speaking at the same session, Gary Marx remarked, "If people get on our case, it's because what we do is so important.… Like businesses, schools create value that people need.… If we don't take the leadership to shape the system we need, we could end up like an island caught in a raging current."
Schools, families, communities—together they secure a brighter future for us all.
