Success Stories: "Angela"

In the fall of 2002, "Angela," a working mother of three school-age children stepped forward in the midst of a crisis to take a leadership role in her community. A bitter dispute between the teachers union and the school board in Maple Heights had led to a teachers' strike that left the schools and the community in turmoil. Angela and other parents felt shut out by policies that severely limited public comment at school board meetings. In response to the growing crisis and the school board’s unwillingness to engage parents, Angela decided to form a new organization called Concerned Parents of Maple Heights.

Angela quickly found out that her leadership skills did not match her determination and her concern for her community. She felt unprepared and ill equipped to organize and develop a sustainable parent organization. Recognizing her limitations, Angela sought advice from Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who had stepped into the situation in Maple Heights in an attempt to mediate the dispute. The congresswoman referred Angela to the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI).

After meeting with Angela and listening to her concerns, NLI executive director Don Slocum invited Angela to apply for the Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland class that was scheduled to begin in January 2003. Angela was accepted to the program and began to attend the weekly classes. Through the classes Angela learned how to facilitate meetings, how to make public presentations, and how to identify the assets and stakeholders in her community.

In addition to attending the Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland classes, Angela and other members of her newly formed parent group received technical assistance from Neighborhood Leadership Institute staff members. This additional assistance allowed Angela and the other emerging parent leaders to talk freely about the challenges they faced, to craft new strategies, and to develop an understanding of their roles as leaders.

Bolstered by her newly developed leadership and decision-making skills and the ongoing strategic assistance from NLI, Angela helped to triple her organization's membership and build Concerned Parents of Maple Heights into a vehicle for expressing the concerns of parents whose voices had previously gone unheard. While this newly organized constituency no doubt played a part in electing three new members to the school board in the fall of 2003, the greater impact of Angela's leadership can be seen in the improved relations between parents and teachers, the success of a "peacemaking" back-to-school event this fall, and new school board policies that promote greater participation by the public.

Angela's story illustrates the benefits that accrue to both individuals and their communities when grassroots leaders have access to the kinds of leadership training and development offered by the Neighborhood Leadership Institute.