Press Conference at WISPIRG

This talk was given on Nov 15, 2010 as a kickoff to “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,” sponsored by the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG). Read more

Questions that guide my work lately…

My recent research into issues of educational leadership, homelessness, and inter-organizational collaboration tends to relate to the following questions:

1) How do educational leaders (both school and community-based) learn about, draw from, and respond to their surrounding communities’ conditions?

and

2) How do leaders help foster appropriate and sustainable intra- and inter-organizational systems of practice?

Burt’s Structural Holes

Ronald Burt’s (1992) book entitled, “Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition” provides an interesting analysis of relationship network utility. I’ll be drawing from this work in my fall course (School-Community Relations). Here’s one excerpt from the Burt text that describes how issues of network size and diversity are relevant:

“Network size and diversity under a presumption of trust are the general parameters to be optimized. The effective size of a network can be less than its observed size. Size is the number of primary contacts in a network; effective size is the number of nonredundant contacts. Two contacts are redundant to the extent that they provide the same information benefits to the player. Cohesion is an empirical indicator of redundancy. Contacts strongly connected to each other are likely to have similar information and so provide redundant benefit to the player. Structural equivalence is a second indicator. Contacts who, regardless of their relationship with one another, link the player to the same third parties have the same sources of information, and so provide redundant benefit to the player. Structural holes are the gaps between nonredundant contacts. As a result of the hole between them, the two contacts provide network benefits that are in some degree additive rather than overlapping… A network rich in nonredundant contacts is rich in structural holes” (p. 47).

Using technology to develop inter-organizational connections

One of the main strands of my research examines how schools and community-based organizations work together (and toward mutually agreed upon ends) in sustainable ways. A common challenge to this collaborative work is communication. Issues of time, organizational culture, and organizational capacity often inhibit collaborative work that efficiently draws from diverse organizational assets. In that these and other factors make it difficult for key actors from school and community entities to work together “in time and space,” there is room for further exploration into how technology can help overcome institutional divides. From simple initiatives to develop shared social networking spaces (like Facebook), to more advanced programs that allow partners to communicate in efficient manners, there are a wealth of possibilities for bringing groups together in effective, efficient ways.
I look forward to examining such efforts in some of my future work – including the study of Promise Neighborhoods and homeless education initiatives.

Report calls for collaborative leadership

The U.S. Interagency Council on homelessness recently released the federal strategic plan to end homelessness. After hundreds of interviews and focus groups with stakeholders throughout the country, the Council’s first objective, as described in it’s report, is to strengthen collaborative leadership among and between governmental and private entities. On p. 34, the report states:
“Strong leadership is needed at federal, state, and local levels and across all sectors to
establish and implement action plans that achieve results for people experiencing chronic
homelessness, and for families, youth and children, including Veterans and their families.
Such plans should be locally driven, reflecting local conditions, since a one-size-fits-all plan
does not exist. Interdisciplinary, interagency, and intergovernmental action is required to
effectively create comprehensive responses to the complex problem of homelessness.”
Such is the work that is needed in the education realm, as well. Addressing the needs of students in homeless situations is a multi-level, multi-agency task.

Here’s the link to view the whole report: http://www.usich.gov/PDF/OpeningDoors_2010_FSPPreventEndHomeless.pdf

Annual Homeless Assessment Report

HUD’s 5th Annual Homeless Assessment report provides an overview of recent trends in individual and family homelessness. I was particularly struck by the disproportionate growth of families among the wider homeless population in the U.S.
Link to the report: http://www.hudhre.info/documents/5thHomelessAssessmentReport.pdf

Doubled-up homeless numbers

The recent report from the National Coalition to End Homelessness estimates that 4.85 million people are living in conditions of doubled-up homelessness in the U.S. These numbers are often overlooked in various “point in time counts” and are highly relevant in school-related conversations because the McKinney-Vento Act counts kids from doubled-up conditions as homeless. Here’s a link to the article: http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/3024

Promise neighborhood funding deadline

The deadline for Dept of Ed funding for Promise Neighborhoods passed a couple weeks back. Considering that over 300 applications were received (and no more than 15 or 20 awards are expected), it will be interesting to note which types of props are granted support. UNCA’s Patrick Lester has a really interesting listserve following the whole process. To get on the list, contact Patrick at: plester@unca.org

Homeless numbers up in Madison

There was an interesting article in the Wisconsin State Journal on Sunday (it was the lead story on page 1) about the increasing numbers of children who are experiencing homelessness. Another indication that we need more research into issues of education and leadership in contexts of homelessness. Here’s the link to the story:

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_5ca02e94-8de0-11df-b4bb-001cc4c002e0.html

Homelessness in the summer

During one of my recent visits to a local shelter, a case manager noted that their biggest influx of families occurs during the summertime “when landlords and family members are more likely to turn families out onto the streets.” The summer months are all the more difficult for many homeless parents who are seeking steady employment and/or other personal/professional development because when school is out of session, childcare can be difficult to come by. Accordingly, it is critical that school and community leaders develop strategic and time-responsive systems of practice throughout the year. Because homelessness does not take a summer vacation.