Defining and Supporting Staff, Family, Administrator, and Partner Roles
Another primary theme that emerged from our discussion concerns the roles of the different community school partners/constituents. The main interest is in defining the unique roles of the teacher, administrator, and coordinator, as well as family and community members in the community school setting. Specifically, there is a need to define the ways in which teachers and principals work differently in a community school. There is a different level of collaboration expected, there is a need to understand how preparation and ongoing professional support happens for them, and what successful community school teachers and principals look like. Moreover, there is a need to understand the role of the coordinator, and its value added to the community school. We know that the role is significant, but there is a continuing need to delineate the ways in which coordinators contribute to the success of the school. Similarly, we need to understand how family and community members contribute to the community school in ways that are unique and different from a traditional school. We need to document and know more about the decision-making role they play as well as the ways in which their ongoing partnership is sustained.