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We have all been inspired, moved or touched by a story at some point in our lives. Stories have the power to communicate not just facts, but also context and emotions. In any complex system that is more than a sum of its parts, stories illuminate the underlying patterns, interactions and relationships that give the system its unique identity. Hence, as the Ball Foundation Education Initiatives (EI) team looked for powerful ways to communicate accomplishments, things learned, and reflections from its work—building systems capacity in school districts to improve literacy for all students—the medium of storytelling became a natural choice.
This unique project, Poised for Change: Stories of Personal and Organizational Transformation, is an attempt to capture patterns of change at the midway point of a five-year partnership between the Ball Foundation and Rowland Unified School District (RUSD). The stories are told by a diverse group of people: teachers, principals, district administrators and parents, among others. The stories are told from a variety of perspectives and relate to diverse experiences that the storytellers had of the Ball Foundation partnership. Taken together, however, a coherent message emerges from the various stories.
It is a message of growth, renewal, and courage to change in the face of increasing adversity. RUSD, like most school districts in the country, is going through a period of severe financial cuts. In addition, an era of increased accountability is calling upon school districts to dramatically improve student performance. The stories from RUSD demonstrate the system’s increasing capacity to adapt and grow, a capacity that is allowing RUSD to face ongoing challenges while maintaining a sense of mission and purpose. The storytellers speak about new ways of thinking; these new ways of thinking are a precursor to changes in practice—what people and the system do in service to their students.
The work of building capacity is by no means complete. Since the time that these stories were collected, the Ball Foundation partnership has deepened its focus on instructional, leadership and organizational practices that lead to positive results for students. Sustainability measures are also being put into action to ensure that the impact of the work continues after the formal partnership ends. Another round of stories with a specific sustainability focus is planned for 2010-2011.
In the meantime, please enjoy this treasure trove of nuggets. We at the Ball Foundation would love to hear your thoughts and comments as you read through the following stories of personal and organizational transformation.
Finally, I want to thank our thought partners in this journey, Vicki Zakrzewski and Hallie Preskill, who first brought the idea to us, tirelessly interviewed people (driving around a 24-foot RV, no less) and most importantly, helped to organize the stories in an accessible and easy-to-read format. We hope you have as much fun reading the stories as we had collecting them. Happy reading!
Srik Gopalakrishnan
Director of Evaluation
Rex Babiera
Director of Learning and Communications
