Dr. Ray Daniels

WHO: Dr. Ray Daniels, Kansas City, Kan.

WHAT: Worked with the local chapter of the United Way in forming KCK Study Circles, a group designed to give area parents the opportunity to discuss shared concerns about the educational system, work together to develop solutions, and have an active voice in making change happen

HOW: Daniels, the superintendent of the Kansas City school system, was working to launch an initiative that would help improve student test scores in the racially mixed, blue-collar district. However, this concerned educator knew that such a plan could have a lasting effect only through the increased involvement of parents, many of whom were immigrants having difficulty making cultural adjustments.

To assist in his efforts to make parents feel more connected with the educational system, Daniels called on his local United Way director, who helped secure funding for the outreach effort and hire Brandi Fisher, a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Public Administration, to head the project.

Fisher adapted the small-group approach to action promoted by the Study Circles Resource Center. Soon, groups of eight to12 parents in the poorest part of town were meeting to talk about their own experiences, discuss ways to improve problems in the school system, and recommend ideas for action. These smaller groups would then gather together to share their conclusions and organize teams to work on solution ideas.

Because of the diversity in the community, KCK Study Circles worked extra hard to accommodate participants, whether it meant meeting after religious functions or providing food or child care. And, after five years, more than 10 percent of the community had participated in the project.

As the effort grew, groups began discussing issues beyond school, such as local crime and other neighborhood concerns. KCK Study Circles members have gone on to make many outstanding contributions to the community, including working to raise literacy levels throughout the school district, instituting an after-school homework help line, and creating parent support groups.

Read more about Dr. Ray Daniels's story and others like his in The Next Form of Democracy by Matt Leighninger.