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Mr. Link said that collaboration should generate an outcome where students realize <br />increased accessibility to some service or achievement. Evidence of collaboration would <br />be tangible, improved access by students to some function provided by the schools. <br />There need not be the same level of improvement across the two districts, but there <br />should be an increase in both. Students in each system should have an equal access to <br />educational opportunities, he said. <br />He offered the example of school nurses, and said that collaboration need not be limited <br />to allied services. He said that when parents of different districts ask the Manager and <br />BOCC at budget time to fund specific programs, such as Spanish teachers, he begins to <br />wonder if a consensus exists across the two districts on the level at which certain <br />programs should be provided. It would help him if the schools had consensus on <br />priorities. <br />Dr. Pedersen said that collaboration means two parties are each benefiting from working <br />together, He said that the two school districts are working together to benefit themselves. <br />For example, when both districts needed nurses, they collaborated, He also offered the <br />example of snow days: the districts need not reach the same conclusions about whether <br />to cancel classes, but they share information so that each is better aware of the situation <br />than it would be if the information was not shared. However, one does not collaborate <br />,just to collaborate. For example, if one district does not need mare Spanish teachers then <br />what would be the benefit to that district of collaborating on Spanish teachers? <br />He said that he saw three areas of potential. First, improving efficiency. He is willing to <br />explore this, although he does not know if opportunities really exist in this area. Second, <br />programming. He would like to look at programming for staff (e.g., staff development <br />workshops) as well as for students. Third, the working relationship. It would be a <br />"win/win" to ensure that communication is health, open and trusting across the two <br />school districts. <br />Dr. Pedersen identified leadership as a challenge to collaboration across the two boards.. <br />It is not clear who should go first, who should run meetings, who'll take the initiative. hi <br />that void, he said, the BOCC is playing the role of convener, but this introduces another <br />dynamic. For example, when BOCCrs involved it is harder for the two school boards to <br />reach agreement in part because it feels to the school participants that the BOCC is telling <br />them what to do.. <br />Mr. Tacobs said that collaboration has been discussed by the districts, but not embraced. <br />He agreed with the tluee areas of potential collaboration identified by Dr. Pedersen. He <br />referred group members to his own proposal for collaboration, which lists areas he would <br />like the districts to consider focusing on, as well as to other lists that have been generated <br />by other officials over the years. He said that Commissioner Carey proposed merger of <br />the two school districts in part because Mr, Carey is frustrated with the districts' efforts at <br />collaboration. The BOCC does not want to dictate collaboration to the school districts, <br />but the districts' history of collaboration is marked by utuavelirig, no outcomes, <br />difficulties, separate outcomes, repeated requests by the BOCC to collaborate, no action, <br />3 <br />