Dublin Schools Connection: Partnerships are essential to prepare all students for success
One of the three core values we have adopted in Dublin City Schools is “Better Together.” Our core values are at the heart of what we do. They guide how we behave, respond to events and set the standard for how we want to treat one another.
Our success depends on continuous collaboration with the entire Dublin City Schools community, including families, staff, residents and local businesses. As we enter the season of gratitude, it is important to take time to recognize and celebrate the many groups with which we regularly engage and collaborate, in order to make our community truly elite.
Within Dublin City Schools, I have the privilege of leading six community councils that meet on a regular basis throughout the school year. Each council serves as a sounding board to not only hear updates about our latest initiatives, accomplishments and aspirations, but also to inform our practices.
We listen with openness and a growth mindset to their ideas and suggestions, we seek partnership in collaborative opportunities and we learn from their diverse perspectives.
Both our teacher and student advisory councils provide classroom context and user experience to the big-picture decisions we make on a district level. It is essential to not only visit classrooms, but to also make time for focus group discussions in an environment built on trust.
Going directly to our experts from the classroom provides unique insight into the application of policies and protocols, bringing to light areas of opportunity. Students in Grades 9 through 12 from all three high schools and Emerald Campus share honest input to help us create options to support all learners.
Our district is fortunate to have PTO Leadership, Key Communicator and Senior Citizen councils that serve the important function of bringing topics of current community interest to my attention. The participants on these teams are advocates for public education and strive to share accurate information with their neighbors, families and friends.
They provide a direct line of two-way communication with our residents and we appreciate the dedication they demonstrate to our schools.
Following guidance from the Ohio Department of Education, our district leadership is supported by a Business Advisory Council (BAC). This group of Dublin business owners, employees and parents provides insight and advice on matters of workforce, employment skills and student opportunities.
This ensures that the work of educators aligns with the needs of businesses. These experts raise our awareness of the local labor market, promote work-based experiences within businesses and help students prepare for employment opportunities.
In addition to the Dublin City Schools internal councils, I, along with members of our district leadership team, actively serve on several external Dublin boards and councils. These organizations meet the needs of our learning community in unique and impactful ways. We are thankful for the support they provide to our families and we are glad to be able to contribute.
Dublin Bridges, the Dublin Food Pantry, One Dublin and the Dublin Community Foundation are a few of the nonprofit organizations we partner closely with and serve. They work tirelessly to connect families with the essential resources and items they need to survive when times are tough and obstacles arise.
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Parents and Educators Raising our Community (PERC) and Adolescents and Community Together (ACT) are groups that present research-based community-driven programming for parents. The Dublin Education Foundation directly funds classroom innovations to spread best practices in our district.
Working with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Visit Dublin include multifaceted collaborations with lasting positive outcomes for students.
The examples I have shared are by no means a complete list, but we are immensely thankful for them and the many other partnerships we enjoy.
In addition, I would like to extend a warm invitation to any community member who would like to connect with our district to join me for our next Community Conversation at Emerald Campus on Nov. 22. We are Better Together!
John Marschhausen is the superintendent of Dublin City Schools.
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Dublin Schools Connection: Partnerships are essential to prepare all students for success
