Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1419056
Historic resources for the transformative power of community schools Story by Julian Peeples Illustration by Daniel Baxter stronger families and healthier communities. Since each community school is centered around local needs and priorities, no two look exactly alike. But they all share a commitment to partnership and rethinking how best to provide the resources students and families need. " Your school has needs. As a community school, you iden- tify and elevate those needs," says Nick Chandler, community school coordinator and United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) member. "It is our role to elevate and push until that need is met." CTA Vice President David Goldberg says supporting the com- munity school movement is a priority for CTA, with significant implications for justice and democracy as schools and families examine whom schools serve and how decisions are made. e possibilities are exciting, he says. "is is why I got into this movement and became a teacher — to make a true difference in a powerful way," Goldberg says. "Community schools are a chance to do this." The heart of the community Danielle Rasshan had taught at Ganesha High School in Pomona for more than 20 years when the school was chosen to be part of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) com- munity schools pilot program in 2019. She was always "tied in" to which students needed more support and often intervened as the last stop to help some students before they faced seri- ous discipline. Rasshan says she noticed the community school difference immediately, especially when it came to connecting students with resources and services. "Now everything is located at my school. I know who to reach out to when I have a student who needs anything. I used to have trouble getting in touch with families, but now 19 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 21