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Dear Prospective Partner in Education,
First, let me thank you in advance for
taking the time to review our Partners in Education proposal and
information. Both our students and our partners benefit tremendously from
these partnerships, and I hope you will give careful consideration to
establishing a partnership with NorthLake
Park Community
School.
I would like to take a moment and give
you a general definition of a Partner In Education Partnership. A Partner
in Education partnership is a mutually supportive arrangement between a
business and an educational institution. For brevity, the community partner
is generally referred to as "a business" and the education
partner is generally referred to as "a school." In partnerships,
the business and school partners commit to specific activities intended to
benefit students and help accomplish school improvement goals resulting in
increased student achievement. A school may initiate a partnership or, a
business wishing to enter into a relationship with a school may initiate
the partnership. The partnership is official when both sides make a
declaration of their intent to work together for the school year and after
the Partnership Plan is completed. As in any endeavor, the key elements are
effective communication and planning, and a sincere commitment to enhancing
student achievement. Some of the key factors in excellent partnerships are:
- Excellent partnerships are designed to
improve student achievement and are an integral part of the school
improvement plan.
- Excellent partnerships are committed to
improving the quality of public education in order to prepare all
children to live and work in the 21st century.
- Excellent partnerships are guided by written,
realistic action plans that include planning, goal setting,
communication, recognition and evaluation.
- Excellent partnerships are able to
demonstrate progress toward ambitious, high priority goals. They
evaluate their success primarily on the basis of improvements in
student achievement rather than on programmatic success.
An excellent partnership
is also designed to be mutually beneficial to both parties. However it is
vital that partnerships maintain a culture that reinforces community
involvement. They recognize that a well-run community involvement
initiative is a win/win program for schools, for business and for the
community.
The Community Benefits:
- Improved economic environment and ability of
community to draw new businesses and provide for economic growth
- Lower dropout rates are associated with lower
crime rates, less unemployment and fewer welfare recipients
The Partners
Benefit:
- Enhanced community image
- Better prepared workforce
- Improved employee morale
- Aids in customer and employee
recruitment
The Students Benefit:
- Delivers a unified message that the community
cares about students' academic success
- Provides opportunities for greater career
awareness
- Increased self-esteem
- Enhanced learning opportunities in
non-traditional settings
Please remember that
"Quality education is everybody's business". Thank you again for
your consideration, and we look forward to having you on our team!
Sincerely,
John
Rudzik,
Principal, NorthLake
Park Community
School
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