Future Search in

School District

Change

Connection, Community,

and Results

Leading Systemic School

Improvement Series, No. 4

Rita Schweitz and Kim Martens

with Nancy Aronson

Contents

Contributor’s Foreword

Nancy Aronson, Beverly Arsht, Emily Axelrod, Rosemarie

Barbeau, Mary Ann Bobosky, Claudia Chowaniec, Sandee

Crowther, Pat Deans, Michael Erwin, Karen Symms

Gallagher, Ray Gordezky, Jim Grieve, Sally Hilderbrand,

Sandra Janoff, Vera Jashni, Jean Katz, Chris Kloth,

Rebecca Love, Kim Martens, James Merritt, Sara Mullett,

Kenoli Oleari, Jim Parry, Catherine Perme, Alexa

Posny, Sue Rowan, Rita Schweitz, Ken Seeley,

Shelley Sweet, and Marvin Weisbord

Preface

Rita Schweitz and Kim Martens

Introduction: Future Search in Education

Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff

Part I: Demographic Variety

1 Lawrence Public Schools: Institutionalized Goals

Nancy Aronson, Emily Axelrod, and Sandee Crowther

2 Influencing Systemwide Change at the

Toronto District School Board

Ray Gordezky, Kim Martens, and Sue Rowan

Part II: Leadership Perspectives and Tools

3 Converting Outsiders to Insiders: A Grassroots Approach

Using Future Searches at Each School to Design the

Districtwide Educational Strategy

Jim Parry

4 Supporting the Merger of Two School Boards in Ottawa,

Ontario, Canada: The Ottawa–Carleton Community and

Public Education to 2015

Claudia Chowaniec, Ray Gordezky, and Jim Grieve

5 Perkiomen Valley School District: Creating a

Collaborative Culture

Beverly Arsht, Nancy Aronson, and Sally Hilderbrand

Part III: Growing Community Partnerships

6 Activating Social Capital through Community

Support and Interagency Cooperation: A Future Search

Success Story in Education

Rita Schweitz, Ken Seeley, and James Merritt

7 Building Community Capacity to Support

Quality Education

Nancy Aronson, Emily Axelrod, and Mary Ann Bobosky

8 Supporting Health and Mental Health So Students Can

Learn in San Gabriel, California

Jean Katz and Vera Jashni

9 Creating a Community for Healthy Learners in

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Catherine M. Perme and Sara E. Stoltzfus Mullett

Part IV: Including Student Voices

10 Finding the Rainbow in a Coat of Many Colors:

A Districtwide Strategic Planning Process

Shelley Sweet and Jean Katz

11 Confronting Racism in the Novato Unified School District

Kenoli Oleari

12 Success and System Readiness: The Lester B. Pearson

School Board and their Commitment to Educational

Excellence, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Pat Deans, Kim Martens, and Ray Gordezky

Part V: Beyond the District

13 North Montgomery County Technical Career Center:

Opening Up a System and Having Regional Impact

Nancy Aronson, Beverly Arsht, and Michael Erwin

14 Community Collaboration: A 10-Year Journey for

Young Children

Chris Kloth and Rebecca Love

15 Transforming A School of Education:

Building System Coherence

Nancy Aronson, Rosemarie Barbeau, and

Karen Symms Gallagher

16 Kansas State Department of Education: Hope and a

Sense of Possibility in a Time of Scarcity and Despair

Nancy Aronson, Rosemarie Barbeau, and Alexa Posny

Epilogue: Engaging the System by Changing Conversations in

School Districts

Kim Martens, Nancy Aronson, and Rita Schweitz

References

Index

About the Authors