A stakeholder is any individual or group that can affect or is affected by an organization's achievement of its purpose and goals. As such, stakeholders in school systems may include teachers, parents, students, school board members, and community members.

All too often, stakeholders tend to resist change while demanding improvement. They can make it almost impossible for school reform to succeed unless leaders are aware of the many pressures at work. As Hargreaves and Fullan (1998) note, however, resistance to change can also be a powerful source of learning: "Resisters may be right. At the very least, their perspective on any change will be different and divergent from yours. Quell resistance and you remove the opportunities for learning."

A school's success is ultimately based on its ability to create a shared vision, establish common purposes, and take focused, concerted action.

Here are some resources that can help school leaders enlist stakeholders in promoting school renewal.

Resources

Leadership Folio Series: Family and Community Involvement

Increasing Parental Involvement: A Key to Student Achievement, by Dan Jesse

¹Hargreaves, A. and Fullan, M. (1998) What's Worth Fighting For Out There? Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation, ON: Toronto.