BLOG 1: When Partnerships Become Pressure, And How to Build Them the Right Way

 Let's be honest about something nobody in education likes to say out loud - sometimes the very people who are supposed to be helping you, the partners, the oversight bodies, the support organizations - end up being one more thing you have to manage. And when you're already stretched thin, one more thing to manage isn't support. It's weight.

 We've lived it, and we know how demoralizing it is to be handed a "partnership" that looks great on paper but creates nothing but long meetings, misalignment, and an inbox full of emails. 

A client school of ours found itself in the unfortunate position of landing on the Partnership List.  After working through the shame and disappointment of finding ourselves there, we went about the work of understanding the rules and organizing ourselves for the journey of navigating the process (and predicament).

In doing that, we learned very quickly that being in Partnership means managing a web of relationships with authorizers, the Michigan Department of Education, ISDs, management companies, vendors, and nonprofits, all of whom have strong opinions on what you should be doing and when. In theory, that network should be your safety net. In practice, it’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen.  

Meeting after meeting, tempers were flaring, tears were flowing, and the volume of voices was rising.  Every player in the room had their own desired outcomes, a specific set of rules, and big philosophical beliefs about what the school needed to do. We needed to take control of the discussion, put the purpose and needs of the school in the center of the room, and keep it there in every meeting.  

How we did it -

Step 1 - Made sure we understood the needs of the partners. We asked for clear desired outcomes and made a checklist so it was easy to follow.

Step 2 - Worked to create a plan that we knew was feasible for us as a team, and hit all the goals on the list. 

Step 3 - Compiled that plan into a clear presentation that enabled all members of the team to feel that they were seen, heard, and valued members of the solution. 

 As a result, we got on track and stayed there.  The school is now on a positive improvement trajectory, and all partners are satisfied. 

Here's what we learned: the schools that improve outcomes and build momentum aren't the ones with the most partners. They're the ones with the right approach to organize the true work of partnership, oriented around a shared vision, clear roles, and honest accountability.