Michael Kennedy

EDAD 580
11 July 2015
School & Community Relations Problem Analysis
The relationship that currently exists between Dubuque Community
Schools Districts alternative education programs and the greater Dubuque
community is best described as misunderstood. Many people within the
community do not understand what the purpose of our alternative education
programs is, or even that the programs exist. The alternative education
programs of Dubuque CSD have a difficult time building strong relations with
the greater community for a number of reasons, including visibility and
stigma. Until the misunderstandings that exist between these two groups are
cleared up, neither group will be able to fully benefit from the other.
Perhaps the most impactful reason for the misunderstandings that
exist between Dubuque CSDs alternative programs and the greater
Dubuque community is history. Alternative education programs in Dubuque
look nothing like they did ten years ago. Prior to 2009, Dubuque CSDs
alternative education programs existed in one school called Central
Alternative High School. This was a stand-alone school that served at-risk 912 grade students within the District. The school was closed, due to a
building in disrepair and operating costs higher than the district desired, and
the alternative programming was fractured. Now, there are two alternative
education programs that are housed on the Alta Vista Campus. These
programs, called the Alternative Learning Center and Connect Program, are

not stand-alone schools. They serve very different purposes, neither of which
are similar to the mission of the former Central Alternative School. Although
this transition occurred over six years ago, most people within the
community have no idea Connect or the ALC exist. If you go to Dubuque
CSDs website, you will not find a webpage for either the ALC or Connect.
These pages do not exist. Therefore in the minds of many citizens in our
community, neither do we exist.
Another major roadblock to building a healthy relationship between the
alternative programs and the community is the stigma that exists. Many
community members are under the assumption the students in these
programs are criminals, drug users, and soon-to-be dropouts. These stigmas
are very intense and often times make it difficult to find people within the
community willing to work with alternative students.
To repair the relationship between the alternative education programs
and the greater Dubuque community, a number of things need to occur. First
of all, there needs to be more visibility to our building. The signage on the
building is difficult to see and does not sufficiently describe what exists
within the building walls. The building is so close to the Loras College
campus that many people assume it is a part of the campus. If a sign were
placed next to the road for all people driving by to see, more people would
know these programs exist.
Next, the alternative programs must have a web presence. Just as
community members can access information about neighborhood schools

from the district website, people should also be able to access information
about Connect and the ALC. On this website should be our program missions
and vision statements, as well as student and staff profiles. The community
would benefit from hearing the story of our programs from the people
involved in them.
One major improvement can be made to the reputation of the districts
alternative programs is having greater partnership within the community.
One of the academic cornerstones of the alternative programs is to have
students involved in the community. In the past, we have been involved with
community groups and businesses such as Hy-Vee, Ace Hardware, the
Dubuque Food Co-op, University of Dubuque and Loras College to name a
few When students and staff do go into the community, we are often met
with questions. Having some literature to hand out to these organizations
would be very helpful for them getting to know us. Also, the relationship we
build with these organizations tends to end when the project ends.
Continuing to foster the relationship by inviting these organizations to come
to our building, see the work we do, and encourage them to be an ongoing
part of our learning community could be a great way to grow these
relationships.
One final recommendation within community partnership
improvements is to establish a community-based Advisory Board. The Board
would be comprised of the involved community stakeholders, and could also
include Inclusive Dubuque, a community group made up of leaders from

varying backgrounds. Inclusive Dubuque aims to advance social equity within

the community and would be an excellent asset on the Advisory Board. The
board would meet quarterly and would address up to three topics brought
forth by our school community, as well as any topics the group may feel
compelled to discuss. This committee would be a high-profile asset for our
building in creating a stronger relationship between the alternative education
programs and the Dubuque community.
In all, the relationship between Dubuque CSDs alternative education
programs and the greater Dubuque community could easily be improved by
making a few changes. By improving our signage, creating a web presence,
building our relationships with community organizations beyond the scope of
class projects, and creating an Advisory Board, we can easily become a wellknown, respected education organization within our community.