Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/740763
"Academics are extremely important, but we believe in teaching students about the larger world, too," says Edgar Sanchez, Oakland Education Association, who teaches world history. " We are always thinking about ways to advocate for our own community." The social justice theme echoes throughout CCPA courses, including the newly created computer science pathway program overseen by OEA member Tyjun Mack. "Students are learning the skills to create apps to help our community," says Mack. "We want students to apply their skills to make this community better." Growing in popularity It takes a village to raise a child, goes an African proverb, and some say it takes a community to support a school. Because nearly one in four California children lives in poverty, more schools are transitioning to the commu- nity school model. Nationwide, about 5,000 community schools serve 2 million students, according to the Coali- tion for Community Schools in Washington, D.C. There isn't an exact number for how many exist in California. But Deanna Niebuhr of the California Com- munity Schools Initiative, an Oakland-based nonprofit that launched a network to connect community schools to one another and to advocates, says the idea is catch- ing on, and more than 50 districts are committed to community school practice. California districts that have opened community schools include Vallejo, Fresno, San Francisco, Oakland, Redwood City, Los Angeles and Sonoma. At El Verano Elementary School in Sonoma, parents bring food for a pot luck in Janine Marcoux's second-grade class. El Verano transitioned into a community school last year. Third-grade El Verano teacher Craig Madison works with student Luis Aguado. Educators now have more professional development time, which they use to focus on student literacy. continued on page 20 Photos by Scott Buschman 18 cta.org FEATURE