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
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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
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Data and Data Driven Decision Making
English Language Learners
Facilities
Graduation Rates
Home to School Transportation
Local Control
Preschool
Education Issues
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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
Adoption
Implementation
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
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Initiating the Process – Start at “home”
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Creating a Vision, Guiding Principles and
Common Values
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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
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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
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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