Learn

I have learned that ranting and raving at school board meetings is not a good method to persuade board members and school administrators to look into issues that you feel are important to discuss and act on.   One of the most important things I've learned in this program is to really take a moment to look at the different stakeholders that all have their own views of the issue.  To identify allies and opponents really helped to gain support and discover whose reservations may hold up the changes I am looking to promote.  For workforce housing, the stakeholders include the people who need the housing (new teachers), the people who have the housing (the school district and other local housing folks), and the people who make the decisions and contral the purse strings, (the central administratioan and school board).

After beginning the TLI program, I have discovered some techniques that have helped me get my message across in a postivie fashion.  It has helped me become better at listening to the concerns of other stakeholders and has helped me realize ways to meet their concerns.  I began by giving speeches at public board meetings.  These speeches are somewhat limited both in time and interaction.  After learning about how making flyers can help promote your ideas, I incorporated that into my strategy to help deliver examples of workforce housing proposals in my school district.  The flyers helped to better get my ideas across to the members in the short 3-minute public comment period, and allowed me to make sure they were able to revisit the idea at a later date.

This allowed some interaction as board members and administrators began to reach out to thank me for my interest in helping teachers.  I quickly started to follow up with emailing my thanks to all the board members, encouraging them to lend me support and thelp persuade the adminstration that the idea should be explored.  I also gained some support, especially from our school board chair, when I volunteered at the school board's levy rally and held signs, allowing me to mingle with some of the board members, and of course discuss their concerns with my workforce housing proposals.

These interactions and empathy interviews helped me to hone my message to cover the different concerns of the diverse stakeholders.  Just getting to know the central administration team and many of the school board members and have conversations with them, really opened up a way of sharing my own thoughts on the direction of the district, as well as how it affects teachers.  Below is a synopsis of the process I started in September, 2023.

NEEDS ASSISSMENT - BLUE PHASE

Which of the leadership pathways will be your focus?

• Policy

2. Explain how you will grow your leadership skills for (indicate your selected overarching competency first, and then explain).

• Overarching Competency #1:·   communication – need to gather information and figure out who stakeholders are, and begin to meet them one on one and in group settings.  Sending out personalized info emails to invite stakeholders to participate is good idea.

•   Overarching Competency #2  interpersonal effectiveness – need to get better at listening to others…stakeholders and my wife…and try to 

3. What is the challenge or need that is your focus? Describe broadly.

To get the district to start a workforce housing project for teachers that will build upon itself over time and become a great investment for the district as well as a great opportunity for new teachers looking to get started in their career.

Conduct preliminary investigation of “what is” (what is already known about the needs of the target group). 

4. Identify Major Concerns

The administration and board members express concerns with being landlords.  They have said in multiple interviews that they don’t want to be landlords.  Who collects the rents, deals with maintenance, etc.

They worry about relationships between employer and employee when housing is qualified for employment.

They are not aware of the possibilities out there when it comes to affordable housing such as providing lots to renters, remodeling existing properties, or even what properties the district owns.

5. Determine Indicators of Needs

Surveys, Interviews with new staff

6. Consider Data Source(s) - both documents and people

Interviewing board members on possible solutions and obstacles

.Interviewing administrators on possible solutions and obstacles

Interviewing new teachers to see what workforce housing solutions would fit best.

Researching state legislative grants involving workforce housing.

Research property management companies and how they could partner

7. Decide Preliminary Priorities

Suggest workforce housing in board meetings.  Hand out flyers including ways to use property they already own to start the project.  Talk to stakeholders to find out what is and what their concerns are to workforce housing projects.

8. What potential biases or barriers are you anticipating?  Why? Have you considered solutions? If so, what would they be?

Admin and board members are busy with their own agenda items and may not want to add to their plate.  They might not understand the nature of the need for workforce housing and probably don’t realize how properties can be set up to “pay for themselves” if you have ownership.

9. What format(s) will you be using for your needs assessment? Why this choice?

Interviews with new staff, board members, and central administration

10. As you consider the need(s), identify your likely allies - why? Most likely opponents - why? Refer to  your Power Map

• Allies & Reasoning: some board members will like the idea and want to pursue options to help teachers

• Opponents & Reasoning: central admin may look at this as more work or have legal or financial concerns about it.

11. As a Fellow, how will you include diverse stakeholders and diverse perspectives in conducting your Needs Assessment?

I intend to interview and discuss options with members of each of the stakeholders.  Interview teachers to find what would help them the most.  Interview board members to find support and identify their concerns that would need solutions.  Interview central admin to see if they can be persuaded to begin a workforce housing program of some sort.

12. Consider possible indicators of success:

Just a open discussion would be nice, or for “them” to mention it at one of the board meetings.  If I can get them to start saying “workforce housing” in public meetings, then that paves the path for moving forward into the next phase of researching what would work.