Jessica Chatman - Site Coordinator, King-Westwood Elementary School
When one of our partners, Peace Jam, lost their Program Coordinator back in 2006, KCIS and King-Westwood Elementary School gained an incredible Site Coordinator. For the past 2 years, Jessica has helped connect essential services to over 500 KPS students and has coordinated events and school-wide services to the MLK student body several times over. She has been instrumental in the implementation of the ISS model at King-Westwood, and in working effectively as a bridge builder between KCIS partners and MLK staff, students and parents, students are one step close to fulfilling their promise.
When making hiring decisions on Site Coordinators, National Communities In Schools recommends the following qualities, behaviors and beliefs that successful site coordinators possess:
• Likes people and people like them
• Is empathetic
• Possesses partnership-building skills
• Is a team player
• Exhibits entrepreneurial ingenuity
• Is self-motivated
• Can be a problem solver
• Knows how to negotiate effectively
• Builds consensus and trust
• Persists in the face of obstacles – does not give up easily
• Knows how to be an effective leader and manager
Jessica fits this to a ‘T’. King-Westwood Principal Judy D’Arcangelis says “Jessica is an outstanding person and does fabulous work. In her role as site coordinator, she has done a tremendous amount to deepen KCIS involvement at our school.”
With admiration and affection, KCIS bids farewell to Jessica so that she can complete her second degree in elementary education. We sincerely hope she’ll be back to KPS as a teacher so that students continue to benefit from the extraordinary talents of this exceptional young woman.
Jessica Chatman, we thank you for helping students stay in school and succeed in life.