Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1419056
C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L S are trending r i g h t n o w, w h a t w i t h s t a t e , f e d e r a l a n d N E A / C TA i n v e s t m e n t a t p r e v i - o u s ly u n s e e n l e v e l s , b r i n g i n g a h i g h level of attention . It's about time. e community school model works — and has been working for some years, especially in California. As our cover story "Building the Heart and Hub" (page 18) shows, community schools have had remarkable outcomes — raising enrollment, attendance and graduation rates; increasing the number of students who go on to college; and decreasing th e achievem ent gap, th e dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism. By leveraging community resources so students are healthy, prepared for college and ready to succeed, community schools a d d re s s p o v e r t y a n d l o n g - s t a n d i n g inequities (and let educators focus on teaching and learning). Just as important, they forge connections and partnerships among diverse stakeholders, from stu- d ents and fami li e s to educators and school administrators to local businesses and civic and service organizations. Com- munity schools strengthen and help lift up the communities around them. ey're a win-win-win w hose transformative powers CTA heartily supports. Heart certainly factors into your hercu- lean efforts in year two of the pandemic, as "Second-Year Scramble" ( page 28) chroni cl e s. How el se to e xpl ain h ow A Win- Win-Win The six pillars of community schools: strong, relevant curriculum; high-quality teaching; inclusive leadership; positive behavior practices; family and community partnerships; community support services. See page 22 for full description. you continue to give your all to your stu- dents in the face of ongoing challenges? For many of you , schedules and class formats and structures change almost d a i l y d u e t o C O V I D - 1 9 e x p o s u r e s , quarantines, and unclear policies (or policies that are not enforced), leading to confusion and frustration. "It isn't the back-to-school that some of us imag- ined," says Maripaz Berlin, president of Oak Grove Educators Association. Caring for yourself and taking control of your professional path are ways to cope during these difficult times — and you're not alone in this journey. Take a look at the resources, tools (collective and individual), examples and insights from members and experts on ensuring your well-being at cta.org/ways‑to‑wellness. And explore CTA's professional devel- opm ent of ferin gs, such as C TA/NE A micro-certifications, free to members on a variety of high- interest topics — s e e " Po l i s h Yo u r S k i l l s " ( p a g e 4 0 ) . Micro-certifications demonstrate your competency and master y in a specific skill or set of skill s, and can b e don e individually at your own pace or as part of a learning community. You can also join colleagues at spe- ci ali z ed c onferen c e s of fered by C TA and others to hone your skills and get different perspectives on the profession. We list a few in the Calendar on page 9, including CTA's New Educator Week- end (presented virtually Dec. 10-12 and in person Feb. 25-27), for those in their first three years in the profession. Check out more great opportunities coming up at cta.org/conferences. Your work is vital. In our story on com- munity schools, CTA Vice President David B. Goldberg says he became an educator "to make a true difference in a powerful way." You make a difference in your stu- dents' lives every single day. ank you. Katharine Fong E D I T O R I N C H I E F editor@cta.org 6 cta.org E D I T O R ' S N O T E