International Association of Public Participation
Core Values Webinar
January 13, 2015
Laura McDonald John Poynton

Poll #1: Your professional affiliation?
- research/higher ed.
- K-12 education
- health care
- government
- industry
2

Poll #2: Your geographic location?
- Australasia
- Canada
- USA
- other
3

Can your school community have a reasoned discussion about…
- massive cuts
- school closures
- boundary changes
- police officers in schools
- allowing teachers to carry arms
- raising taxes to increase teacher pay
4

In an environment with?
- conflict-driven media
heavy reliance on “experts”
- polarized ideological interests
history of “decide, announce & defend” tactics
- rising distrust for school administrators
- lack of trained P2 facilitators in schools
5

Wouldn’t public education work better if more citizens…
6

- had personal relationships with administrators
& legislators and routinely contacted them with concerns?
- were so well-informed about school business, they’d be more willing to serve on the board or committees?
effectively engaged other citizens on controversial issues that many citizens might be reluctant to discuss?
- could share accurate information about emerging issues, dispel myths and rumors, help problem-solve?
…and more districts had administrators and parents trained in P2 theory and process facilitation?
7

But engagement trends aren’t good !
- parents leaving PTAs
(Putnam, 2000)
- complexity of education
(Fisher, 2009)
- administrator expertise
(Mathews, 2006)
- strained relationships
(Gillon, 2000)
distrust of “non-experts”
(Sexton, 2004)
- citizens withdrawing
(Harwood, 2005)
- public easily manipulated
(Fishkin, 2008)
8

 professional
 active voter
 taxpayer
 has two elementary-aged kids
 loves her neighborhood school but had NO relationship with her school district!
9

vs
Laura
10

11

- secure the support of a credible leader
- identify root cause of failed interactions
- design and train for details
get early wins (make colleagues ‘the hero’)
- connect citizens with experts, build trust
- empower parents with know-how, know-who
- recruit experienced facilitators when needed
- be a persistent change champion
12

13

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Poll #3: Generally, how would you characterize your community’s capacity for public participation?
- above average
- average
- below average
- S.O.S.! (crisis mode)
- unsure
15

Poll #4: Generally, how would you characterize your organization’s support for public participation?
- above average
- average
- below average
- not even on the chart
- unsure
16

Would a citizen training that provides
- organizational knowledge (know-how)
- relationship building (know-who) raise our district ’ s P2 capacity?
17

District
- org. structure
- governance
- budget
- schools & curriculum
- student services
- P2/deliberation skills
State/Local
- elected officials
- school finance
- state Board of Ed.
- state & federal laws
- state education policy
- PK-12 legislation
18

District
- superintendent
- board president
- leadership team (asst.
superintendents., exec. directors, etc.)
State/Local
- legislators
- state ed. board
- state dept. leads
- local municipal leaders
- law enforcement
19

What citizen training in district affairs
Why reengage parents, build
P2 capacity
When meets monthly for 2½ hours
Where board of ed.
room
Who parents (mostly) from across the district
Agenda supt’s update, guest speakers, core topics
20

- knowledge operations, funding, governance,
P2
- relationship build rapport with decision makers
- willingness prepared to commit time/ resources
- efficacy understands P2 theory & process
- action participates in district activities
21

LSV significantly improved my knowledge of …
- policies and practices
- organizational structure
state’s role in funding
- instructional programs
school board’s role strongly agree/agree
97%
93%
89%
85%
80%
22

“ When you feel informed, you feel empowered ...
”
23

LSV makes me more likely to contact …
- a friend or acquaintance
- friends contact me
- a board member
- the superintendent
- a state legislator strongly agree/agree
82%
81%
81%
77%
67%
24

“ It was the first time I was exposed to legislators.
”
25

LSV makes me more willing to be involved … strongly agree/agree
- in conversations with others
- in PTO, other committees
- seek out school leadership
- in Board of Ed meetings
- in state legislative hearings
96%
74%
74%
63%
56%
26

“LSV has given me more confidence and to assert myself and advocate for the things I believe in.”
27

LSV strengthened my deliberation skills …
- finding solutions
 difficult choices
- finding solutions
 uncomfortable strongly agree/agree
97%
97% conversations
- different perspectives
 better solutions 92
- greater understanding of different perspectives
- different positions, but finding consensus 85%
28

“ I’ve definitely learned to consider where people are coming from.
”
29

After LSV I have participated in …
- volunteered at a school/district event
- asked another person to participate
- shared new knowledge with the PTO
- involved in a legislative initiative
- made a financial contribution yes
100%
92%
88%
88%
85%
30

- communicated with superintendent/board
- supported candidate campaign
- used social media to share information
- solicited a financial contribution
- submitted a Letter to the Editor yes
81%
73%
69
%
31

“It made me feel more comfortable about getting involved…doing campaigning, educating, talking to parents, getting petitions signed, going to speak at parent groups, emails, all kinds of things that I would say are on a broader level.”
32

Evidence from archival records
PTO records
Newspapers
Web-based docs
Legislative hearings
Election coverage
Event agendas
33

John
- no perfect meeting time
- encourage staff to raise the tough problems
- include a social event
- child care availability big plus
Laura
- never underestimate the power of a few
don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
- modeling, sincerity & encouragement are key
- safety in numbers
34

- starting small is good
- strong leadership essential
- including staff builds buy-in
- not a means for a specific political win
- more work from staff (but its the right work)
- huge opportunity for communications office
35

Getting citizens back to the table
Leadership St. Vrain
36

Leadership St. Vrain
37

Building culture of public participation
38

Grassroots St. Vrain
39

Laura McDonald
Grassroots St. Vrain laura@grassrootsstvrain.org
303-883-6320
John Poynton
St. Vrain Valley Schools poynton_john@svvsd.org
303-682-7404
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