Building Healthy Communities Through

Leadership & Collaboration: The Role

of School Boards

Coalition for Community Schools Conference

April 7, 2010

Martin Gonzalez, CSBA

Betsy McNeil, CSBA

Workshop Objectives• Vision – Student health and its link to learning• Background • Role & responsibilities of school board members• Why collaborate, continuum and keys to success• Steps to successful collaborations• Opportunities for collaboration• Q/A

This work was made possible through support from the Vitamin Cases Consumer Settlement Fund

CSBA envisions a state …. where the futures of all children are driven by their aspirations, not bounded by their circumstances.

Background• 1024 School Districts and County Offices

of Education

• 9557 Public Schools

• Over 6.3 million students– 49% Latino– 31% White– 12% Asian– 8% African American

Background

• Of the roughly 1000 school boards in California about 10% are urban, 30% are suburban and 60% are rural.

• Over 55% of all school districts have 2,500 students or less.

Education Issues

• Finances/Budgets

• No Child Left Behind/ESEA

• Academic Content Standards and Instructional Program

• Assessment and Accountability

• Before and After School Programs

• Charter Schools

Education Issues• Data and Data Driven Decision Making

• English Language Learners

• Facilities

• Graduation Rates

• Home to School Transportation

• Local Control

• Preschool

Education Issues• Partnerships

• Safety

• School Based Medicaid

• Special Education – Autism

• Support Services

• Teacher and Administrators

Education Issues• School Wellness Policy• Childhood obesity (Nutrition, Physical

Education and Activity)• Asthma / Indoor Air quality• Mental health• Oral health• School based health centers• Coordinated school health

Levels of Engagement• County

– County Boards of Education, County Superintendents and County Offices of Education

• Local– School Board, Superintendent, and District

Staff

• School Sites– Principals, School Staff, Parents, Students

Who’s Who at the School District Level

In general, school boards make policy and

Superintendents implement policy.

The Role of the School Board

To ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs and

priorities of the community

Policy Development Cycle

Need Development

Monitor & Evaluate

Implementation

Adoption

The Board’s Responsibilities

• Set direction for the district

• Establish a structure for action

• Provide support for implementation

• Hold the system accountable

• Engage and lead the community

Set direction for the district

Establish a structure for action

Provide support for implementation

Hold the system accountable

Engage and lead the community

Why Collaborate?

• Creates a win-win situation

• Maximizes financial resources

• Avoids duplication of public facilities

• Enhances programs and allows expansion

• Presents a united community image

Continuum of Collaboration

• Information Exchange

• Joint Projects

• Changing the Rules

• Systems Change

Keys to Collaboration

• Leadership matters

• Planning and implementation involve those who will be affected by the project

• Results of the effort are measured in achievements, not process

Barriers

• Competing priorities

• Limited resources – funding, facilities and staffing

• Lack the ability to initiate and engage with community partners and stakeholders

Steps in Creating a Collaborative

1. Setting the stage and creating the vision

• Initiating the Process – Start at “home”

• Creating a Vision, Guiding Principles and

Common Values

• Determining Priorities and Outcomes

Steps in Creating a Collaborative

2. Designing the essential building blocks• Implementation plan:

- Clearly stated vision and prioritized goals

- Specific strategies for achieving each goal

- Specific measure to assess progress toward each goal

- Action steps for achieving identified outcomes

- Clearly identified responsibilities

- Timeline for each goal and for the entire effort

Steps in Creating a Collaborative

3. Implementing the strategies• Transitioning from planning to implementation• Keep the vision in front of you• Identify staff and resources• Train and integrate staff is needed• Plan the logistics• Make adjustments as you see what works

Steps in Creating a Collaborative

4. Sustaining and continuing the collaboration• Evaluate the outcomes• Reassess and revise goals and action steps• Continue to renew commitments and hold the

vision • Make adjustments, add new partners. keep the

effort dynamic

Collaboration opportunities for nutrition

Empower food services staff to seek opportunities

• San Marcos USD hired nutrition education and marketing director paid out of food services budget

• Elk Grove USD nutrition specialist develops activities – visits to local supermarkets, farmers markets, collect donations for local food bank, grocery store sponsors assemblies, district web site, professional development

Collaboration opportunities for nutrition

Utilize available resources

• Elk Grove USD received SHAPE (Shaping Health as Partners in Education) grant from CA DOE – established comprehensive approach to nutrition education that includes business and nonprofit community partners

• Vista USD – use free materials from CDC and Dairy Council to teach nutrition education; participates in “Harvest of the Month” state program; UC Cooperative Extension programs

Collaboration opportunities for nutrition

Create public awareness

• San Marcos USD district health council – publish brochures, sponsor poster contest, hold community-wide wellness fair

• Chula Vista Elementary SD wellness committee – published brochures for staff with state legislation, rules for party treats, district policy changes; brochures for families with suggestions to encourage healthy living

Collaboration opportunities for nutrition

Connect at the county level

• County of San Diego and San Diego COE co-host quarterly meetings of district food service directors and student wellness coordinators from 42 school districts in county – access resources, network, share ideas, etc.

Collaboration opportunities for nutrition

Encourage cities to adopt nutrition policies

• City of Brentwood – comprehensive wellness policy• Palm Desert, San Francisco, Santa Ana – distance of food

vending trucks to schools, parks and recreation facilities• City of Chula Vista and Sweetwater Union HSD – joint facilities

agreements• 12 cities have nutritional standards for public vending machines• 11 cities have restrictions on fast food outlets• Nearly 50 cities reported provisions to allow farmers markets

More examples of healthy cities at www.civicpartnerships.org

Collaboration opportunities for PA

Conduct assessments of local conditions, resources and barriers

• La Mesa-Spring Valley SD, City of La Mesa, San Diego County – students conducted walkability study

• PhotoVoice Project (www.photovoice.org) – teen researchers to document resources/barriers through pictures and videos

• Assessment tools – www.bicyclinginfo.org, www.ActiveLivingResearch.org

Collaboration opportunities for PA

Establish safe routes to school

• Grant program – www.saferoutesinfo.org

• Walking school bus or bicycle train – work with PTA and/or local bike clubs to coordinate

• Walk/bike to school day/week/month

Collaboration opportunities for PA

Participate in land use planning

• Make the healthy choice the easy choice

• City’s general plan revision process provides an opportunity to address school district involvement – school siting, healthy food options in and around campus, complete streets, access to parks and trails, etc.

• Chino SD, through community-wide collaborative, are involved in land use advisory committee

Collaboration opportunities for PA

Joint use of facilities and equipment

• City of La Mesa Junior Seau Sports Complex – users include middle school PE classes, youth sports teams, after-school programs, sports camps and YMCA camps:- fundraising by Parks and Recreation- design, construction and maintenance by Public Works Dpt- scheduling by Community Services Dpt- leagues pay for janitorial services and lights- school district pays for watering of fields

Q/A

• How does this resonate with your experiences?

• What do you see as the key barriers and opportunities in working with school boards?

Contact Information

Martin Gonzalez

Deputy Executive Director

CSBA

mgonzalez@csba.org

Betsy McNeil

Student Wellness Consultant

CSBA

bmcneil@csba.org