Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/50712
Creating your own community outreach team An easy way to do this is by conducting ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET STARTED IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS FORMING A CHAPTER "OUTREACH TEAM" THAT INCLUDES MEMBERS WHO ARE ALREADY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES. a survey. Sample surveys and other resources can be found at www.cta.org/Parents-and- Community/Community-Outreach. A community outreach team can identify local "movers and shakers" including repre- sentatives from community-based organiza- tions, faith-based organizations, the chamber of commerce, other unions, homeowners asso- ciations, retirees, parents, and education sup- port professionals. Members of these groups can be invited to one-on-one conversations with chapter members, and hopefully these conversations can progress to stakeholder meetings and events that benefit the commu- nity politically, charitably or environmentally. Begin building community relationships by hosting and participating in community forums, sponsoring community projects, joining local coalitions, and assembling a team of members already connected to the community. CTA has a Community Outreach Department that provides support and resources to help local chapters, UniServ units and Service Cen- ter Councils working within communities to facilitate involvement in meeting the needs of students and their parents. For further assistance, ask your Primary Contact Staff or chapter president to bring in a community outreach consultant. CTA's Community Outreach Department also helps chapters develop partnerships by giving grants that vary in size and scope, depend- ing upon the needs of the community. Sev- eral chapters have received support for their community outreach programs, including the Paradise Teachers Association, the Elk Grove Teachers Association, the Natomas Teachers Association, and five High Desert chapters coordinated by the Hesperia Teachers Asso- ciation. In the High Desert, the grant will help chapters participate in a program with local businesses to give prizes — including a Jeep Patriot — to high school students who maintain perfect attendance. CTA also offers workshops to provide par- ticipants with the skills and the strategies for building a community outreach organizing plan. Workshops include: Together We Are Better. The Missing Puzzle Piece to Building a Stronger Local. Connecting Communities to Our Schools. One Voice One Community — Working Together to Make a Difference. Community Outreach — Is It Really Important? Reaching Out to Diverse Communities. Leadership Beyond the Association. Urban Strategies for Community Outreach. Rural Strategies for Community Outreach. Community Outreach for Community Colleges. Collective Power Creates Action. Turning Education Issues into Association Power. MORE INFO For more information, visit www.cta.org and under "Parents and Community" click on "Com- munity Outreach." LOCAL: MEMBERS: COMMUNITY: POPULATION: OUTREACH: Hayward Education Association 1130 Hayward 144,186 Association of Education Office and Technical Employees 194 Demanding a chance to participate in civic meetings Hayward fights for a voice in civic matters w HEN OTHER GROUPS INITIATE OUTREACH in the community and don't invite you, sometimes it is necessary to fight for a place at the table. This was the case when the Hayward Unified School Dis- trict decided to have a conference to boost the achievement of Afri- can American students. Teachers didn't know until the last minute that the district planned to host a two-day summit meeting in September including students, parents, administrators, school board members, community leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations. When teachers and classified employees informed district officials they would like to participate, they were told they could have one union representative in attendance. CTA members demanded broader representation, and many Hayward Education Association (HEA) mem- bers, along with members from the Association of Educational Office and Technical Employees (AEOTE), showed up and participated in group discussions. "We don't wait for Hallmark cards; we just push our way in," says Mercedes Faraj, presi- dent of the Hayward Education Association. HEA member Sharon Jackson, a teacher at Winton Middle School, says that attend- ing the conference was a positive experience. "I think it will help our district move forward," says Jackson. "It's also a reminder we have a lot to do." Anne Lomax, an attendance clerk at Winton Middle School and AEOTE member, also was happy that she could attend, and felt classified employees could offer valuable input since they are at the "front lines" of public schools. "I have been involved with African American parents in the commu- nity for the past five years," she relates. "I have a daughter who goes to a district school, and she has gone through many things I was not 16 California Educator / December 2011 • January 2012 GROCERIES ! L IRR BAY SUPIH ES SPLCOO L BOARD OF EDUCA TION C NO TRMN C M E E UI TY