When forming a school's improvement team, what should a school leader prioritize in selecting community members?

In selecting community members for a school's improvement team, prioritizing diverse community voices is crucial. This approach ensures that the perspectives and experiences of various stakeholders are represented, which can lead to more comprehensive and effective decision-making. A diverse team can provide valuable insights that reflect the needs and priorities of the entire community, rather than just a select group. This inclusivity fosters a sense of ownership and engagement among community members, as they feel their opinions and experiences are valued in the school improvement process.

In contrast, while personal connections within the community, experience in education, and availability for meetings are important factors, they do not directly address the need for a well-rounded and representative voice in the improvement efforts. Personal connections may lead to biases or an unbalanced representation of views, experience in education is valuable but can sometimes result in overlooking the unique insights that non-educators bring, and availability, while practical for logistics, does not ensure that the members represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Prioritizing diverse voices ultimately enriches the improvement process and supports a more equitable approach to enhancing educational outcomes.