Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1470295
E D U C A T O R S A C R O S S T H E S T A T E are embarking on the journey to build community schools in their local districts, identifying needs and developing partnerships to create transformative experiences for their students. A community school is both a place and a set of partner- ships between the school and other community resources with an integrated focus on academics, health and social ser vices, leadership and community engagement, lead- ing to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. With a historic $3 billion in fund- ing from the state (and another $1.5 billion proposed in the governor's May budget revision), many local associations are applying for planning and implementation grants from the California Community Schools Partnership Program to help support their work. ese investments will strengthen and expand community schools across the state, with a focus on schools and commu- nities with demonstrated need and an eye toward converting every high-poverty school (more than 80 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals) in the state to a community school within the next ve years. While locals like United Teachers Los Angeles and United Educators of San Francisco have been working to build com- munity schools programs for some time, many others are at dierent points of the journey. We checked in with three local associations to learn about their progress. iStock A Transformative Journey Educators, families and partners are key to the collaborative process By Julian Peeples COMMUNIT Y SCHOOLS: 26 cta.org Feature