News

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

On September 4, educational leaders gathered in Honolulu to share their work to improve and sustain public-private partnerships. Schools represented were:

• Sacred Hearts
• `Iolani
• Punahou
• Island Pacific
• Hanahau`oli
• Assets
• HAIS
• Waipahu High School
• Mid-Pacific Institute
• Kamehameha Schools

The group tackled some important questions and came away with these shared insights.

What have you found to be the steps needed for creating a “good partnership”?

• Trust and respect
• Regular, open communication
• Empathy
• Flexibility
• High levels of engagement and investment from administration
• Focus on needs, not just goals

And how do you define a “good partnership”?

• A horizontal, mutually beneficial relationship that fills an authentic need related to students and/or teachers. Creates a synergy that magnifies the abilities of all involved.

Looking back, what worked well for the partners?

• Avoid the “savior” syndrome
• Establish norms – how we communicate & respect each other
• Flexibility as you experiment different approaches
• Establish timeline and metrics to make evaluation possible
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help – reach out to hear other viewpoints
• Consistent communication
• Investment from all partners
• Shared responsibility amongst all partners

What would you do differently?

• More shared planning

What recommendations would you make to move a good partnership to a great partnership?

• Put concepts above into practice
• Align resources
• Think long term
• Articulate manageable goals
• Consider research-based approaches
• Building community and good will along the way.
• Involving all partners in every step
• Modesty & respect
• Replicable vs. Replicable & scalable
• Sustainable – building capacity
• Ongoing evaluation of the partnership