The Politics of Authentic Engagement

The Politics of Authentic Engagement: Perspectives, Strategies and Tools for Student Success provides practical approaches for leaders in a variety of roles to address the changing landscape of schooling, build dynamic relationships in support of schools, help parents/families support their children's achievement and create a culture of engagement. Strategies described in this book teach how to serve as a listener, teacher, leader facilitator, and initiator in engaging others within professional settings to do meaningful work that benefits students. It's companion book, Authentic Engagement: Perspectives, Strategies, and Tools for Student Success supports leaders in helping others learn to engage by providing handout, overheads, instructions, and other prompts to use in workshop settings.

Kathy Leslie, APR, a former teacher and administrator, currently president of Leslie Consulting and Associates has written for national educational journals and co-authored the NSPRA workshop kits Lighting the Fire: A Process for Building Staff Morale and Excellence; Staff Recognition: Unlocking the Potential for Success; Team Building 2000, Managing Change Together and for Chalkboard Project Running Start: Reaching the Hard-To Reach, a Toolkit for Parents and Trainers of Parents. Leslie has worked in nearly every state and internationally to build positive stakeholder relationships and strengthen community by facilitating dialogue, focus groups, strategic planning, community forums, and conflict mediation.
Judy Taccogna brings practical experience as a teacher, counselor, elementary school principal and district administrator. She has also served as the education director at Search Institute, a national research organization in Minneapolis (MN). She has contributed writing and editing to two previous books and a number of newsletters. Global Oregon represented a collaborative writing project among teachers throughout Oregon to produce an economics textbook for high school students under the auspices of Oregon State University/Western Oregon University School of Education. Powerful Teaching: Developmental Assets in Curriculum and Instruction was a project that brought together 24 educators who were applying Search Institute's developmental asset model to learning in classrooms and schools. She holds bachelor degrees in education and literature, a master's degree in counseling and guidance, and a doctorate in educational leadership, administration and supervision.

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Discovering the Power of Authentic Engagement
The Power of Authentic Engagement: A Story of Success
The Pathway to Powerful School/Community Relationships
The Landscape of Authentic Engagement
Thinking Systemically to Link and Move Forward
The Range of Vehicles for Engagement and Learning
Best Hopes: Revitalizing Education and Democracy through Authentic Engagement
Chapter 2 - Creating a Culture of Authentic Engagement
Understanding Authentic Engagement: What It Is and Why Do It
Nurturing a Culture of Engagement
Promoting Generative Dialogue: The Heart of Community Engagement
Chapter 3 - Collecting and Using Stakeholder Research
Engaging Stakeholders in Action Research
Focus Group Processes and Strategies
Effective Use of Data
Chapter 4 - Engaging Families/Stakeholders and Schools
What a Partnership School Looks Like in Action ... and What It Doesn't
Beyond Parent Involvement to Family Engagement
What Families Need to Know about Education
Chapter 5 - Facilitating Artfully
Fundamentals of Facilitating
Managing Conflict through Engagement
Structures and Processes to Move Dialogue toward Action
Chapter 6 - Planning Strategically
Creating Sustainable Change through Strategic Planning
Stages of Creating a System-wide Strategic Plan
Other Applications of Planning Processes
Chapter 7 - Reflecting on the Journey: Inspiring Change
Engagement: A Ticket toward Common Ground - Gary Marx
The Role of School Boards in Parent/Community Engagement Programs - Sherre Calouri
A Stake in the Outcome: The Importance of Civic Engagement to Public Schools and Democracy - Janet Hogue
A Business Perspective - John Boone
Social Media: Communicating and Engaging in the New Neighborhood - Nora Carr
Keeping Public Education Strong: Public Engagement Makes a Difference - Karen Kleinz
Improving the Odds of Success for Our Country's Children - Sylvia Soholt