Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1491904
I N E A R L Y D E C E M B E R , CTA Vice President David Goldberg and several board members met with Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association (ASTA) leaders and Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) officials representing commu- nity schools in Anaheim. For several years, ASTA and the district have been a model of collaboration on community schools, serving some 22,000 students. They have worked with students, parents and the community while making strides to grow their community schools and meet the needs of all students. In May, AUHSD received a $23 million Cali- fornia Department of Education grant distributed over five years, part of a $4.1 billion statewide commitment to community schools. The ASTA/AUHSD model is a study in partnership. Local union leaders were foundational to the institution of the community schools process, with active communication and consensus among all parties as the work progressed. The process has gone so well that it led to the district committing to a program that would include 13 school sites. At the meeting, ASTA President Grant Schuster explained the all-in approach their local took to ensure the program's adoption throughout the district: " Through the practices of shared leadership, engaging the community, providing integrated student supports and enriching student learning inside and outside of the class- room, we are focused to ensure the whole child and their family are supported to thrive. This pro- cess has more potential to transform public education than anything I have seen in my 30 years of teaching." Successful community schools — in Anaheim and throughout the state — are in constant contact with their students and parents to deeply under- stand the needs and assets of their school community. " Through those interactions, com- munity-based partners bring resources that help meet these needs in a way that honors the hopes, dreams and assets of our community," Shuster said. "[For example,] Sycamore Junior High's school community works with North Orange Continuing Education to provide adult English as a Second Language classes Monday through Thursday "Through the practices of shared leadership, engaging the community, providing integrated student supports and enriching student learning, we are focused to ensure the whole child and their family thrive." —Grant Shuster, president, Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association Anaheim union, district a model of community school collaboration By Ed Sibby Learning From success In September, Anaheim Union High School District opened the first of 13 Community Resource Centers that offer a variety of support services for families and the community. 24 cta.org Feature C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L S