The Public Education Promise Principle 4: Building Family, Community, and Business Partnerships

In today’s educational landscape, the role of family and community partnerships in student success cannot be overstated. Many schools struggle with establishing trust and collaboration with families and community members, but the benefits of doing so are immense. In this post, we will explore the significance of building highly engaged family, community, and business partnerships and share actionable insights from education leaders Ann Levett and Carol Birks. Dr. M. Ann Levett, is Senior Vice President, Leadership Network, AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Ann is a Savannah native and proud product of its public schools, was appointed superintendent of Savannah Chatham County Public Schools (SCCPSS) effective June 1, 2017, after serving as the deputy superintendent and the chief academic officer of the district. Immediately prior to returning to SCCPSS, she served as dean of the school of education at Middle Georgia State College. Prior to her tenure at Middle Georgia State College, Levett served as executive director of the School Development Program (SDP), a national school reform program at Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to coordinating SDP’s school-university partnerships across the U.S. and its territories, Levett led reform efforts in Dublin, Ireland, and Rennes, France. She also consulted on significant community development projects in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and several major U.S. cities. Dr. Carol D. Birks is a catalytic and transformational educational thought leader with extensive experience in organizational leadership, community engagement and empowerment, executive coaching and change management. The leadership practices she implements are designed to enhance the systems, structures, and practices within organizations to accelerate academic progress and promote systems thinking. Dr. Birks began her career as a teacher, quickly growing her administrative capacity by serving as a school, district, and state leader. These roles include Teacher, Assistant Principal & Principal for Bridgeport Public Schools, Assistant Superintendent, and Chief of Staff for Hartford Public Schools, and Superintendent of Schools for New Haven Public Schools, and Chester Upland School District. Currently, Dr. Birks is the Superintendent for the Allentown School District located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.