Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1509126
Bathrooms, with showers, are at one end of the gym; at the other end is the room where families enter, sign in and eat dinner. Students can use the dining tables for homework. Some 70 people will sleep at BVHM tonight. ey'll eat break- fast before leaving the gym by 7 a.m. "When we arrived in San Francisco, we didn't have a place to live, so we were living in the streets," says Mayel Navas, who with her husband Saul Torrez has been staying at the gym with their four sons — one of whom is still in a stroller. "We met a friend who told us about this program. We feel super grateful. "This place is important because our kids aren't in the streets. ey have a place to be after school, a place to study. For them it feels like a second home." "We came to the United States because o u r c o u n t r y [ N i c a r a g u a] w a s g o i n g through a time of social-political unrest and there was a lot of government perse- cution," Torrez says. " We don't have the words to say how much we appreciate [the Stay Over Program]." A joint use agreement allows this S.F. Department of Home- lessness and Supportive Housing program to be operated on school district property by the nonprofit Dolores Street Com- munity Services. W hile each community school is unique, their common denominator is shared governance among educators, students, families, administrators and community partners. By achieving a truly equitable model of shared decision making and listening to all stakeholders, BVHM's Stay Over Program and other initiatives are meeting vital needs that have led to healthier families, more engaged and productive students, edu- cators who are able to teach and nurture children to their fullest potential, and stronger connections to the community. CTA and local chapters are working in partnership with the state, school dis- tricts, students, families and community to help grow and support California's community school s, bol stered by th e state's nation-leading $4.1 billion invest- ment. A primary focus among locals is to ensure shared decision making is con- tractually codified — necessar y for all stakeholders to be heard and participate as equals. "UESF has been working on three dif- ferent levels" with SFUSD, says Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco (UESF). "The first is in bargaining a contract that would codify community school lan- guage and the shared decision-making protocol." The second is UESF's agreement with SFUSD to help select and hire a district director for community school The Navas-Torrez family prepares their beds at the Buena Vista Horace Mann school gym. Not pictured is the eldest son, who will join the family later in the evening. "[The Stay Over Program] is important because our kids aren't in the streets. They have a place to be after school, a place to study. For them it feels like a second home." —Parent Mayel Navas 33 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 3 BVHM Community Schools Coordinator Nick Chandler