New Beginnings Center for Children and Families, San Diego, California
New Beginnings Center for Children and Families is a school-based coalition of education, social, and health service providers in San Diego, California. At New Beginnings, family service advocates provide families with ongoing counseling and service planning. They also make referrals to needed educational, social, and health services.
New Beginnings was created through a collaboration of several agencies: the city of San Diego, the county of San Diego, the San Diego City Schools, the San Diego Community College District, the San Diego Housing Commission, the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego Children's Hospital and Health Center, and IBM Corporation. The center is located in three portable classrooms at Hamilton Elementary School in San Diego.
As New Beginnings was being planned, school district middle-level administrators in the San Diego school system were essential in carrying out executive policies and effecting change and action. Kirst and Kelley (1995) describe their functions:
"At New Beginnings, the San Diego City Schools' Student Information System, school district middle management provided ongoing staff work and supported the leadership throughout the process of needs assessment and the formulation of the common mission and financing strategies. These middle-level administrators often had the clearest understanding of how the schools and other agencies were operating and how funds were being spent." (pp. 38-39)
For further information, refer to New Beginnings, San Diego, California.