Making Connections

The contact is made between a leadership team or group in the school and the external consultant to discuss the needs and strengths of the school and the particular goals which are to be the object of the consultation and the change process. The leadership team can consist of a variety of leaders in the school community. Leaders here are considered to be both formal and informal and are those who because of their institutional roles and their spheres of influence in the organization are able to promote change in the school. This group might include faculty, administrators, parent representatives, staff and student representatives. In some cases, the leadership team consists of the principal and a teacher. This change process has a much greater opportunity for success if the principal shows public commitment to the initiative. The second purpose of the contact is to integrate the equity focus into the overall vision and strategic direction of the school. It is important that this not be regarded as an additional project but one which is directly related to the direction of the school.