Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1537217
I N S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 , the community schools movement took a huge step for ward with the launch of the National Community Schools Learning Lab, coordinated by Anaheim Secondary Teachers Assn. (ASTA) and the Anaheim Union High School District. Four CTA locals participated in the inaugural two-day pro- gram, along with their district administrators, parents and community partners. Since then, many more teams — including from the Pacific Northwest and East Coast — have benefited from the Learning Lab, which shows community schools in action; discusses shared governance and ensuring all stakehold- ers have an equal voice; and unpacks individual teams' unique needs, assets and path forward. In April , NE A President Becky Pringle participated in a Learning Lab program, at one point speaking to all attendees. " Whatever you might think of the curtailment of other civil rights, you must fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn," she said, quoting activist W.E.B. DuBois. C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L S Community Schools Learning Lab Teams come together in Anaheim to learn best practices and chart their own path Teams of CTA local leaders, district administrators, parents and community partners discuss foundational components of community schools, such as shared decision-making and ensuring all stakeholders have an equal voice. 23 S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 Year in Review