Allison Brown Consulting (ABC) and the Interactivity Foundation Announce a New Community Engagement Model for Schools and Other Entities
Online, November 8, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Allison Brown Consulting (ABC) has partnered with the West Virginia-based Interactivity Foundation to create a new community engagement and discussion model for schools and other entities. The community engagement and discussion model pilot was successfully completed at the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
Education systems in the United States are grappling with ways to update outdated pedagogical methods, train teachers to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, address the demands of advocates and government accountability measures, engage parents and families, and define their role in an inter-disciplinary environment. Families are grappling with the advent of school choice, how to be heard among the cacophony of interests diverting educators' attention, and ways to help instill cultural proficiency in school staff. Through it all, students adapt to the ever-changing whims of the adults in the system, often demanding through their words and actions that we all serve them better.
The Interactivity Foundation's (IF) peer-reviewed and highly effective democratic discussion method brings public policy to the public. Through small-group discussions led by trained Foundation facilitators, members of the public from diverse backgrounds and experiences come together to identify their concerns related to an issue of public importance and define possibilities related to those concerns, all while breaking bread together in a respectful series of dialogues.
Allison Brown Consulting (ABC) works with schools and other entities to ensure and promote equity in education in compliance with the federal civil rights laws that ABC founder and President Allison R. Brown enforced as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section. A complicated web of federal statutes forms the basis for the federal government to protect its students from discrimination that is a barrier to educational opportunity.
ABC and IF have brought the Foundation's discussion method to an area where it is most needed - our nation's schools. High-quality parent and family engagement with schools is a key predictor of students' academic and life success and has the potential to reduce achievement gaps and educational disparities. Washington Yu Ying was the pilot school for the ABC-IF community engagement and discussion method. School administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and grandparents were led by IF-trained facilitators in a series of discussions to define their concerns related to equity in the school and to identify possible solutions to those concerns. From the series of discussions, ABC generated a first-of-its-kind Education Equity Report that set forth the school community's concerns, their proposed solutions, and ABC's recommendations for how to incorporate the proposed solutions and/or address the identified concerns in the manner most likely to ensure compliance with federal law.
"There are varied perspectives in education that must unite if we are to have any hope of making progress as a country," said Allison R. Brown, civil rights attorney and founder of ABC. "There is truth to every viewpoint, and the ABC-IF community engagement and discussion model provides sanctuary for those truths to be revealed. We are bringing together the people who, regardless of their position, can help solve problems and who have the children's best interests at heart." The diversity of thought and background that comes with such a unique method of parent and school community engagement was on display during the discussions. "During a time when it seems easier to punt difficult questions around equity and diversity, it was a rare treat to engage with the beautiful, kaleidoscopic Yu Ying community," said IF Fellow Dr. Natalie Hopkinson. "I commend the Yu Ying families, staff, and Head of School Maquita Alexander in particular, for diving into frank and direct conversations about how to keep getting better."
And all stakeholders who participated put in real work to make the program a success. "Although it was hard for me to hear personal feedback from people who were reflecting on their reality, it was really all about making the school a better place," said Maquita Alexander, Head of School at Washington Yu Ying. "There were a lot of great takeaways for Yu Ying - some quick fixes and some things for us to spend time thinking about more deeply. There is always room for improvement. As schools think about growth and/or transition, the ABC-IF discussion method is a great process to focus on your school community. I have heard nothing but gratitude from participating families who said 'You didn't have to do this. Thank you for making our voices a priority.'"
Jamila Frone, parent of a Washington Yu Ying 4th-grader and pre-K student, said, "When the school announced that it would be hosting a series of small group discussions led by trained facilitators where parents, teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders could talk about ways we can make Yu Ying even better, I was very excited. The ABC-IF school engagement and discussion method was an effective way to bring together diverse groups with the shared goal of bettering our great school. In the sessions, not only were participants given a platform to freely express areas where we as a school community could grow, but also because of the skilled facilitators we were able to probe issues and ideas that most of us had not previously explored. The discussions were enlightening, productive, and most importantly, student-centered and solution-driven. By providing this forum, the school is demonstrating its continued commitment to open communication and transparency in identifying educational disparities, and to using the entire school community to help find viable solutions to end them. What a fantastic program!"
The ABC-IF discussion method is now available to schools and school districts, non-profit organizations, state and local governments and their constituents, private employers and their employees, international agencies and organizations, and in other spheres as well.
Contact: Allison R. Brown
Mobile Phone: (202) 596-7947
EMail: Allison@AllisonBrownConsulting.com
Allison Brown Consulting (ABC) unites stakeholders around the common purpose of attaining equity in schools. ABC reinforces the efforts of school systems to create a solid foundation in equity and creates unique Equity Plans to help schools put systems in place to achieve fairness and equal opportunity for all students. As a former attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section, Allison R. Brown has years of experience monitoring schools' compliance with civil rights laws. For more information, visit www.allisonbrownconsulting.com.
The Interactivity Foundation is a non-profit organization that enhances the democratic process and expands the scope of public discussions, thereby improving the health of the country's democracy and its development of public policy. IF works to improve both the quality and quantity of public discussions that shape the development of our public policy options. For more information, visit www.interactivityfoundation.org.
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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Allison R. Brown or Interactivity Foundation Fellow Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, please call (202) 596-7947 or email Allison@AllisonBrownConsulting.com.
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