Community Relations
Sub-Competencies
- Articulate organizational purpose and advocate publicly for the needs and priorities of students, families, and the community.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage the extended community.
- Effectively generate and respond to various forms of communication through media.
- Promote a positive image of schools and the school district.
- Monitor and address perceptions about school-community issues.
- Demonstrate a community-centric perspective and the ability to identify and articulate critical community issues that may impact local education.
Reflections and Artifacts
Summary: This artifact is a copy of the supervisor information list shared with families and students attending the state wrestling tournament and riding the fan bus to the event.
Reflection: A principal is a community leader wherever they serve. Part of this role is maintaining a public presence at important events, such as state athletic events. For this event, I supervised a fan bus of students in grades 7 through 9 to the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. While supervising the students at the event, I interacted with several community and school leaders. I learned, in this process, the power of school athletics to build school community and rally it around a school-based cause.
Summary: This artifact is the minutes of a school board meeting I attended, during which challenging comments and statements were made in the public comment portion.
Reflection: School leaders are accountable for communicating information to community stakeholders. I prepared for and attended the regular monthly business meeting of the school board in my district. In this meeting, I had the opportunity to examine how school leaders present information to both the school board and the community. I also observed how school leaders responded (or didn’t) to public criticism from concerned parents in the community. I learned about the importance of being able ot hear out tough information as a leader. When faced with a stakeholder who is critical of your work, it is important, as a leader, to be willing to listen respectfully and learn from the criticism.
Summary: This artifact is a flyer for the annual Big Truck Night hosted by the elementary school's early childhood and family education department. This event brings together community members, businesses, and industries in the region, who bring their large vehicles to show to children and their families. This event serves around 300 students annually.
Reflection: A school is the heart of a community, especially in small towns. School leaders must create an environment where staff can work as teams to create community-building events. During this event, I helped with the setup and supervision of the annual Big-Truck Night, serving about 300 children. I learned about the importance of building strong, lasting community events to make the school the heart of a community.
