Starting a Business Alliance
Getting Started
Business alliances serve to advance the principal's initiatives as outlined in each school's school improvement plan. To that end, the principal:
- Appoints school liaison and establishes school infrastructure to support an alliance.
- Reviews the school improvement plan (SIP) and identifies school needs.
- Identifies a few businesses that could help address school needs.
- Collaborates with the PTA to identify potential business alliance members.
- Calls the first meeting and sets the agenda.
Organizational Meeting
Select business alliance chairperson and meeting recorder.
- Establish a calendar for future meetings.
- Develop mission of alliance aligned with school mission.
- Determine alliance organization structure that will ensure focus, active involvement, and sustainability.
- Develop a strategic business alliance plan based on the school improvement plan and the needs assessment of faculty.
- Determine goals, strategies, dates, responsible persons and expected outcomes.
- Secure signatures from principal and business alliance chair on the letter of commitment, which will be attached to the business alliance annual strategic plan.
Who should attend a business alliance meeting?
- Principal
- Alliance chair
- Business alliance members
- Career Development Coordinator, or school liaison
- Two students
The principal may invite the following:
- PTA representative
- School improvement chair
- Representative from guidance/student services
- Teachers
How often should the business alliance meet?
It is recommended that business alliances meet at least monthly (August through May) to monitor progress of the implementation of the business alliance strategic plan.
Where should the business alliance meet?
It is recommended that the meeting sites rotate between businesses/organizations and the school in order for all alliance members to have a greater appreciation of each other.
What is a School Improvement Plan?
Each school is required to have a school improvement plan (SIP). This plan is the guiding principle of the school and is in direct alignment with the Wake County Public School System mission, goals and strategies. It may include the following sections:
- Student achievement
- Technology
- School climate
- School safety
- School-to-career
How can we promote the Business Alliance?
Parents
- Open House
- School and/or PTA newsletter
- Parent business alliance member
Faculty
- Business alliance members present at a faculty meeting
- Monthly communication to faculty
- Teachers report successes
Students
- Business alliances support student organizations and clubs
- Business alliances work with individual classes/students on specific projects
- Publish articles featuring business alliance members in the student newspaper
- Students produce a video promoting school/business collaboration
Businesses
- Publicize business alliance activities in company newsletter
- Invite students to perform at special corporate events
- Establish internal communication for all employees highlighting successes
- Link business web site between schools and businesses
- Promote alliance successes through professional network
Community
- Publicize business alliance activities in local newspapers
- Speak to local clubs (civic, chambers of commerce) regarding business alliance activities
Important Lessons
- Interest will wane if not action oriented
- Focus on a few activities and do them well
- Each member should be able to contribute something
- Have business member facilitate the alliance meetings
- Have principal and CDC/CIC guide the alliance to meet school objectives
- Keep plans flexible
- Take advantage of what the business member do well
- Principal and alliance chair must be active in keeping faculty and business member motivated.
Strategic Planning
To be most effective, a business alliance should develop a strategic plan based on the goals stated in the school improvement plan.Preparing for the Process
- Communicate with the members about the purpose, date, time of the meeting
- Get confirmation
- Do preliminary planning with principal and alliance chair
- Set agenda
Materials Needed
- Flip chart
- Markers
- Tape
- Copies of the school improvement plan
Meeting Checklist
- Room set-up
- Meeting materials
- Agenda
- Table tents/name badges
- Pencils/pens
- Post-it-notes
A Strategic Planning Session
Introducing the Work Session
- Introduction and expectations
- Purpose/goal
- Agenda
- Ground rules
- Consensus - everyone participates and publicly supports.
- Recorder
Review of Current Situation
- Where are we?
- What facts do we have about our alliance?
- What are our strengths and weaknesses?
- Where do we want to go?
Opportunities
- To develop/refine our business alliance plan
- To set our direction for the year in alignment with specific objectives in the school improvement plan and with goal 2003
- To celebrate our successes
To Consider
- Identify four objectives in alignment with school improvement plan
- Brainstorm strategies
- Capture information on flip chart
- Reach consensus
- Record strategies, action steps, persons responsible, target dates, evaluation
Closure
- Summaries outcomes
- Plus/delta
- Revisit expectations
- Next steps
Next Steps
- Set future meeting dates, times and locations
- Set agenda items for next meeting
- Review action items for next meeting
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.