Count Me In!

Count Me In! annouces the release of its report entitled:

Teaching Quality and Evaluation:
A Report on Community Perceptions

• Click here to view the complete report!
• Click here to view Executive Summary!

People make the difference. People are a community’s greatest asset. We are the key to making meaningful change happen. We create hope, inspire and take action. We share common goals and work together to meet needs. In the arena of education, this couldn’t be more true.

That’s why the Foundation manages a citizen-based engagement and action program called Count Me In! It’s mobilizing people to get informed and involved for the sake of our children – for their success academically and in life. We know that schools cannot do it alone – that everyone has a duty and responsibility to help our children. The Foundation is working with citizens to ensure parents have the resources they need to help their children. We’re working to improve teaching quality. We’re working to provide schools more resources, close achievement gaps and boost graduation rates. We’re working to unlock the potential of the community to increase possibilities for our children.

Our accomplishments include:

• Working with the district and hosting discussions within the community to better define and understand how to support teaching quality
• Conducting a community survey to define parental and family involvement; identify the barriers that impede involvement and ways to overcome them; and collect and share best practices of school-community involvement
• Encouraging the Orange County School Board list ‘Community Engagement’ as a top priority in its strategic plan
• In partnership with the district, coordinating community input to help shape the future of the Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School, as well as co-hosting discussions on student safety
• Launching a community grants program where citizens can submit proposals and obtain funds for projects that reconnect the community with our public schools in ways that positively impact the well-being of our youth
• Integrating a citizens involvement component into our Middle School Kids program  

• Our Community Agreement (en Español)
• Count Me In! Newsletter Signup
  

Steering Committee

The Count Me In! initiative is led by an independent Steering Committee comprised of community leaders, educators and citizens who have a passion for education.  They bring a range of voices and perspectives to Count Me In! and are focused on engaging residents in Orange County, creating and implementing a shared vision and building a strong community base taking action for Orange County Public Schools.

What You Can Do

Below are some ways you can become involved and stay engaged.  Click here to complete a CMI! participation form.

• Become familiar with the Community Agreement and talk about it with your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors.
• Schedule a Count Me In! presentation to groups with whom you are affiliated.
• Meet with your School Board member to discuss Our Community Agreement.
• Talk to your local elected officials about Our Community Agreement.
• Attend School Board meetings as part of Count Me In!

Stay tuned to Count Me In! happenings by signing up to receive the CMI! newsletter or to share your visions and priorities by clicking here.

Here are a few other ways to stay informed about local and national educational issues:

• Sign up to receive the Public Education Network’s Weekly NewsBlast.
• Become informed about Orange County Public Schools - visit www.ocps.net
• Attend OCPS school board meetings or watch the meetings rebroadcast on Orange TV (see programming schedule for details).
• Business partners may become a Partner in Education.
• Volunteer in the classroom through Teach-In, Read2Succeed, or ADDitions.
• Volunteer to serve with a Schools Advisory Council (SAC) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at a local elementary, middle or high school.
• Make a contribution or fund a school project.