From The Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill
To Be Successful, Schools Must Engage Their Students and Their Communities
I
n assessing the challenges facing public schools, Jamie Vollmer, former manufacturing executive and author of “Schools Cannot Do It Alone,” says that we do not have a “people” problem, we have a “system” problem. That’s because our schools were designed for the 20th century, when most people were trained to be workers and a minority were groomed to be leaders. The former leader of the Iowa Business Roundtable was once a severe critic of public schools, but Vollmer’s views changed radically once he realized how much more is being asked of schools year after year. He also came to see how most critics suffer from “nostesia”—a combination of nostalgia for the “golden days” of education that never were and of amnesia, which prompts school critics to selectively remember the good things,
For schools to gain the trust and support of their communities, the two parties must collectively address perceptions and misperceptions.
—Jamie Vollmer, Author of “Schools Cannot Do It Alone”
August/September 2013
conveniently forgetting the rest. Vollmer says that to succeed, it is imperative that schools first gain the understanding, trust, permission and support of their local communities. To achieve this, educators and citizens must engage in what Vollmer calls “Great Conversations.” The two parties must collectively address perceptions and misperceptions about their schools. After all, communities are their schools and schools are their communities. In early June, PAGE brought together a statewide group of school, business, foundation and education leaders to hear Vollmer’s riveting message, to engage with him and to begin thinking about how they could launch their own “Great Conversations” across Georgia. The well-attended luncheon was a great success, and hopefully it sparked a platform for change. Following Vollmer’s presentation, PAGE and Regional Education Service Agency leaders from across the state met to explore how we could cooperatively promote “Great Conversations” locally to set the stage for gaining our community’s understanding, trust, permission and support. “Great Conversations” are community-level discussions. PAGE cannot lead them from Atlanta, but we can work with partners such as the Georgia School Boards Association, whose executive director, Sis Henry, is fully committed, as well as with RESAs and their local superintendents. Facilitating these conversations is a priority for PAGE. For too long now, public education in Georgia has been battered by budget cuts and policy decisions coming from Washington and Atlanta. It is time for local communities to take their schools back and work hand in hand with local educators to provide a high-quality, engaging curriculum that will increase student achievement and success. The time is n now. The work is ours to do. To see a short video about Jamie Vollmer’s message to Georgia educators, scan the QR code below or visit www.pageinc.org/display common.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=873
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