The existence of good relationships between schools and communities are very important, especially when it comes to ensuring that initial goals have been achieved in the easiest way possible. Every public employee within a school district has a duty to ensure a good relationship between the school and the outside world, including parents and the community at large (Diverse Perspectives on Inclusive School Communities, 2012). Development of professional learning communities has been seen as the easiest way to start the desired working relationship. It is, therefore, the role of everyone within the school setting system to ensure that the positive desired relationship has been cultivated.
The principal, teachers, and other staff members have a role to play in ensuring a good relationship with the community, a situation that works for the good of the school and learners. A principal should be accessible at any given time because of their role in setting the school’s tone and managing all these relationships (Meza‐Villalobos, 2010). He or she teaches students about the importance of communities and the manner in which they determine the success of the school. Other school members can facilitate the advancement of this relationship by supporting programs initiated to make it a success and, at the same time, ensure that challenges are tackled to avoid hindrance to the realization of the benefits. When leaders play their role effectively, learning communities become successful, which is the role of a school principal to drive.
Effective communication is very important to ensure that educators succeed in driving their agenda. Idea formation and encoding have to be applied in terms of how communication is done and how information is delivered from one point to the other chronologically. The positive relationship between schools and communities are developed when communication is streamlined and smooth channels are created to enhance information to pass through. This process involves encoding and decoding to receive the needed feedback. It is worth noting that through effective communication, parents and the communities are able to understand what is needed of them and air their opinions regarding the system. It is only through effective communication that trust can be built among stakeholders, a situation that explains why effectiveness in communication should be enhanced.
Students, teachers, secretaries, and substitute teachers make up what is called internal publics of the school. Therefore, they are crucial in determining the success of relationships created with the outside world (School communities and the possibility of friendship, 2010). Each member’s approach to the outside world and the professional learning community is important in ensuring that everything is successful. It is good to have a direct contact with the members of the community on a daily basis as a way of encouraging effective communication. In fact, teachers are the most important people in this circle because they have the ability to make a long lasting impression on students that they are teaching. Through communication, long-lasting impressions can be made and a better professional learning community can be developed. In essence, parents and the larger community should always work hard to ensure that they do what is required of them in terms of supporting the success of these communities.
References
Diverse Perspectives on Inclusive School Communities. (2012).
Meza‐Villalobos, E. (2010). School‐community relations: School‐community Relations. Eye On Education, 2006. 225 pp. $US74,95, ISBN: 1‐59667‐022‐3. Journal of Educational Admin Journal of Educational Administration, 48(2), 270-272.
School communities and the possibility of friendship. (2010). The spirit of the school.