High+Schools+as+Community+Schools

Please respond to the following questions in relationship to the article "High Schools as Community Schools". **//1. How can the community schools model be applied as an option for restructuring/reconstituting persistently low achieving schools under the RTTT and NCLB rules?//** 1. From each of the case studies, it appeared as if the process began with a principal and a community who recognized the need for a systemic change in the current system in which the school was operating. Clearly though, the process is not as easy as it seems. I believe that in order to be effective, a school must have a viable partner within the community and a population who recognizes the need to employ a variety of strategies to improve education. I understand the basic premise that in order to be educationally successful, basic human needs must be met. Although I don’t see the community school as a nationwide model, I do think for the chronically low achieving schools, this program is a certainly a viable option. Although I don’t question the effectiveness of the community school, I do wonder how the individual communities are addressing the core of the problems plaguing their schools? For example, Fannie Lou Hammer High School in the Bronx, NY is described as being, “in a neighborhood that is full of gangs and violence.” What are the local leaders doing to seriously address the gangs, drugs and violence within the community? A school can team up with community centers, churches, and local business in a variety of way, but unless there is an external effort to address the core of the problem, I fear that the effort might not be sustainable over a long period time. 2. One state-wide policy that I think would need a review would be the formula used to calculate Education Cost Sharing (ECS). For example, the state is underfunding special education costs so much that LEA’s are forced to freeze budgets in an effort to cover what the state should be paying for. If the community school effort was to take hold in the chronically underperforming district high schools, then there would be obvious budgetary expenditures. Who will pay for the costs associated with the partnerships? Will it be the state or the LEA? If it’s the LEA, then would parents from the entire district be able to send their children to the community school? This is especially interesting since a member of the CT House of Representatives, Jason Bartlett who represents a portion of Danbury and Bethel wants to introduce legislation that would permit parents to simply vote to reorganize schools. If a school is underperforming for three consecutive years, then a parent vote of 51% in favor would call for swift changes to be made in the school. Also, I had the good fortune to teach in a school that was founded in partnership with the “Coalition of Essential Schools”, which is the same partnership that founded Fannie Lue Hamner in NYC. Our community partner was with “Champion International.” At the time of the partnership Champion was a leading producer of paper products and had its world headquarters in Stamford, CT. The principles of the school focused on science and technology and it was determined by the city that it would be magnet school. The school outperformed other schools in the city in virtually every standardized test category. The school had a breakfast program, a daily advisory program, heterogeneous grouping, re-grouping, a dental hygienist, a partnership with Junior Achievement, family pot-luck dinners, extended day programs, and students had to complete an “Exhibition” at the end of the school year. This school received much more funding than the other district schools and was the subject of much criticism. Although the school was not by definition a “community school”, we had many of the characteristics as those in the case studies. I mention my experience in this school simply because of funding and all of the various politics related to minimum expenditures requirements of schools throughout CT, especially those who are underperforming. Additionally, if a school was to adopt the philosophy of a community school, then I think current teacher contracts might need fine-tuning. The specifics would need to be addressed across districts, but the various components of the community school concept require staff, time, money, and working conditions all of which are important features of a professional contract. 3. If I were in a school considering the community school initiative I would first enlist the help of parents and any community leaders. Without acknowledging the problem that a school needs to change, then the chances of actually fixing it are slim. School leaders can only do so much without the support of the community. Parents certainly can be a driving force behind school change. If parents recognize the need to increase programs in the community, then their point of view would be crucial if a board of education would employ the “community school” model. Also, in order to really be effective, a call to local businesses for internships, job opportunities, or local health clubs that could offer programs to teenagers. One example could be a local YMCA. Also, most cities and towns have some type of recreation department. I would enlist the support of the people who run these programs. For example, currently in Newtown the high school is the de facto “community center.” Virtually every event that occurs in the town, takes place at the school. Although Newtown High School is not a “community school”, we are literally open seven days a week most of the calendar year and just by virtue of the fact that the building is a large facility, the building hosts dinners, plays, recitals, concerts, athletic competitions, and a variety of other events. Obviously, the “community school” is much more of an in-depth concept then the aforementioned events, we have the structure to make such a move. However, Newtown is a community that hides its problems very well, so I am not so sure this model would be open to the community. Between the school administration and police department, we have both engaged in full disclosure of the darker side of the town. Our test scores are good, colleges rates are about 85% and drop-out rate is low, but there are some sinister issues that seriously impact education. Maybe a move to the community school model could address the core problems. (Scott Clayton)
 * //2. How would policies need to be written/revised in order to incorporate the necessary elements of successful community schools into the new design?//**
 * //3. How would you go about organizing support for the change and who would you enlist as partners in the endeavor?//**