Study Circles on Education

Study circles are a series of small, guided discussions designed to build meaningful relationships between diverse groups of people, explore and debate complex issues, and outline clear action steps for change. When people listen without judgment to many diverse perspectives on an issue, they can learn from each other and develop community solutions. Study Circles was a joint effort of the Community Alliance for Education, El Puente Parent Resource Center, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Library, The Winston-Salem Journal, Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Forsyth Technical Community College, and Forsyth County PTA Council and was funded in part by grants from the Winston-Salem Foundation and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

What is a Study Circle?

• A small, diverse group of 8-10 people who meet for four 2-hour guided sessions.
• Considers issues from all points of views.
• Helps people see where they agree and can find a common ground.
• Helps the community make plans for action and change.

How do Study Circles Help?

• Build trust and connections between people across the whole community.
• Deepen out understanding about why students do or do not succeed in school.
• Help us respect each other and listen to different ideas.
• Help us find common ground for solutions and actions.

Study Circles met between March 24th and May 2nd, 2003. To encourage broad participation, study circles were held at various locations across the county, with transportation, childcare, and translation available.

Four sessions were held which included discussions on:

• What does a good education mean to each of us?
• How can we help every child succeed?
• What is our vision for our schools?
• Making a plan for action.

At the conclusion of the Study Circles, all nineteen groups gathered to determine which were the four most important issues for us to tackle as a community. The four selected that night were:

1.) Better treatment of our teachers.

2.) Improving two-way communication between the school system and home, and between the school system and the community at large.

3.) Improving school climate for all of our students.

4.) Changing the structure of our county school board.

Each of these issues were then charged to four Action Plan Committees who spent the summer coming up with a plan of action to address each of these issues. Those action plans were presented to the group as a whole in September and working teams are at present bringing those action plans to life.

We recognize public education as fundamental to a democratic and civil society. Education has long been held as the ticket to a better life and society's most effective tool for helping children reach their potential. Together, we can figure out ways to get the "public" back into public education and find effective ways for informed citizens to participate in the process of improving the system for our children and our community.