Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

July 10, 2008

Building Civic Capacity through Networking  

   Last month (June 2008) in this column, we discussed the idea of building civic capacity for support of public education in District 3 of Gwinnett County through open communication and transparency.  

    In the column, I reviewed the many ways that the Gwinnett County Board of Education has, for the last decade, led the way in initiating the community dialogue with all stakeholders related to Gwinnett County Public Schools.  

    Among the ways we have forged transparency in communications are the following:  

·                     student achievement communications;

·                     budget and fiscal management oversight;

·                     curriculum review and community input;

·                     communication and celebration with teachers’

·                     redistricting, school name, and textbook adoption communication;

·                     media collaboration to build civic capacity for public education.

    This month, I would like to review the role of networking to build civic capacity in support of public education in Gwinnett County and the many ways that we work in District 3 of Gwinnett County—and beyond—to support and advocate for public education.

    The following are among the several networks in which I participate as the District 3 School Board member on the Gwinnett County Board of Education:

Constituent Services and Communications.

    Constituent services and communications provide a vital means of building civic capacity for public education.   Parents, teachers, principals, staff members, business and civic leaders—all have insights into how public education is faring in our community and into how public education could be improved.

    Building civic capacity in support of public education begins with communications with all stakeholders of Gwinnett County Public Schools.   Among the highest priorities in our work with the community is providing constituent services related to all aspects of operations of Gwinnett County Public Schools.  

Communications with Superintendent and Fellow Board Members..

    Among the most important networks for building civic capacity in support of public education are the vital relationships shared among the Gwinnett County Board of Education and the Superintendent.   As individual Board members, we have no standing or authority.   As one of five Board members, in concert with the Superintendent, each of us has a great opportunity to work positively and forcefully on behalf of education excellence for all students in Gwinnett County Public Schools.  

    Over the twelve years that I have served as a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Education, this network has provided a pathway for strengthening the academic, fiscal, athletic, and physical plant operations in the 14^th largest school system in the nation.   It has been a joy to be part of this network.

Networking with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Other Thought Leaders.

    An essential component of the success that the Gwinnett County Public School system has had over the last decade and more comes from the direct leadership and involvement of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Other Thought Leaders in our community.   The Chamber has provided remarkable visioning for smart growth in Gwinnett County .   Its leaders have initiated field studies for Gwinnett Thought Leaders to other similar communities, including Fairfax, Virginia; Plano, Texas; and upcoming in fall 2008 to Raleigh, NC.  

    The Gwinnett Chamber has provided thoughtful guidance and support in the development and review of the school system’s curriculum, special funding appeals, student and school assessment, faculty and staff recruitment and retention, and transportation and physical plant development.   Its “Partnership Gwinnett” initiative is a long-term program of community economic development, linking education at all developmental levels to the growth and vitality of Gwinnett County by 2020 and beyond.

Communication with Faculty, Parents, Staff, and Other Stakeholders.

    Another essential networking component of building civic capacity in support of public education lies with the parents and other family members of the nearly 160,000 students expected to enroll in August 2008, as well as with the nearly 24,000 employees who fuel the engine of Gwinnett County Public Schools.

    School Councils in each school provide an essential communications link, including parents, business partners, teachers, and the school principal.   The Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) also provides a significant network for communications among the Board of Education and individual teacher representatives in each school.   PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) and other organizations also provide a vital network in each school with parents and other family members who collaborate in building civic capacity on behalf of public education in Gwinnett County .  

Gwinnett County Commission , General Assembly Delegation, U.S. Congress, and Mayors and Other Municipal Associations.

   Networking with elected city, county, State, and federal officials has provided a remarkable source of leadership and colleagueship in building civic capacity to support public education in Gwinnett County .

    Formal and informal networking with members of these delegations has provided important input, additional points of view, added support, and expanded reach in developing community consensus and support for public education in Gwinnett County .   Included among these initiatives have been redistricting initiatives, funding opportunities, education reform programs, and growth and expansion initiatives.

Georgia School Board Association, Reform Governance in Action, and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

    Public education is the interest and business of local, State, and federal bodies.   Its central role related to economic development and global competitiveness makes public education a central component of Gwinnett’s, Georgia’s, and our nation’s vital future interests.    In 2005 and again in 2008, I was elected to the Board of the 180-county Georgia School Board Association.   Also, in 2006, I was selected as a member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Regional Education Committee.    From 2006 to 2008, I participated in the Reform Governance in Action program, an initiative funded by the Broad Foundation of California.   These organizations provide a rich source of ideas, learning opportunities, and networks of thought leaders who share our desire to provide excellence in public education and to preserve it for generations yet to come.

    As District 3 School Board member, it is a privilege to advocate with so many others on behalf of excellence in public education for the 160,000 students in our school system now and many others to come in the future.

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