Ways a School Leader Can Foster Good Relations with the Business Community

Community Building

There are many ways to build community within a high school. As an assistant principal, one of my primary roles is to foster a sense of community among the staff, students, and parents. I do this in a variety of ways. First, I make myself visible and approachable. I make it a point to greet everyone in the hallway, stop by classrooms to chat with teachers, and attend as many extracurricular activities as possible. I also work to build relationships with students and families. I host regular coffee chats with parents and meet one-on-one with students on a regular basis. Finally, I strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for all. This means being quick to address any incidents of bullying or discrimination and working to ensure that every student feels like they belong. By taking these steps, I am able to build a strong sense of community within my school.

Concepts from the readings are helpful as I engage in these efforts and deal with potential conflicts. For instance, Epstein and Sheldon (2019) point out the importance of measuring programs and evaluating for effectiveness. That is something I could definitely use when trying to create a safe and welcoming environment through various interventions. Hatcher and Childress (2016) point out another useful tidbit—which is the need for schools to have good relations between business leaders and political leaders, as well as service-based nonprofits, and other community sectors. The idea here is that a school should not be an island unto itself but rather should be seen and felt and realized as a crucial lynchpin in the overall community/social/business/economic/political dynamic that makes up society. I think I could definitely keep those relationships in mind as I try to build up the school and foster interconnectivity between the school and the community.