The school and community connection: Everybody wins!

by Bernice Wimmer

Strengthen your district's community connection by having teachers teach community education classes for job improvement opportunities. Many teachers are looking for ways to go up a step in their pay schedule. Many districts give credit toward a step increase for going back to school and length of service. So, how about giving credit for teaching a community education class? You might ask, why would any district give teachers credit for teaching a community ed class? The reason is simple: community relationships.

Approximately 50% of Minnesota households (Minnesota State Data Center, 2000 Census of Population and Housing) do not have children in the home. How are these households connected to your district? Through community education.

This is a win-win-win situation.  Community education is always looking for teachers, teachers are looking for ways to meet goals, districts are looking for ways to build community support, and the community is looking for lifelong learning opportunities.

How does your community perceive their school district? This perception is key to the future of quality education in our communities. Does your community understand that community education is the lifelong learning component of their school district? We need to empower the lifelong learners in our community to make educated choices about the district's future. 

Bernice Wimmer is an Alexandria community education specialist and a student in the administrative licensure program.