Superintendents across the nation a playing a key role in using the community school strategy as a core element in transforming their schools. Click here for a current list of school districts who have joined the Community Schools Superintendents’ Network. The objectives of this Network are to:
1. Develop a cadre of community school champions who can utilize their pulpit in influencing their peers, chief state school officers, state legislators and governors , the Administration, and members of Congress;
2. Serve as a peer support group for other superintendents looking to implement the community school strategy district-wide.
If you are interested in joining this Network, please send us an email.
As a superintendent, you have the ability to be the most influential advocate for community schools with your peers and community. Mobilizing your leadership on behalf of community schools is particularly important now when superintendents must tap into and leverage assets from within their communities to support student learning and when community support for public education is more important than ever.
Resources
Scaling Up a System of Community Schools – This guide will help you through the process as you and your community create a system of community schools.
Governance – The Community Schools Collaborative Leadership Framework graphic depicts how leadership is shared. It shows that, while each leadership group brings their own set of skills and resources, they all work to build capacity in each functional area. A continuous flow of communication and efforts to align the work of both school-site and community-wide leaders is facilitated by intermediary leadership to keep the initiative on track.
Finances & Sustainability - Check out our Financing Community Schools – Leveraging Resources to Support Student Success report. The report finds that community schools have organized themselves to address constant financial challenges by breaking down funding silos and leveraging resources to support students. Specifically, the report highlights the following findings:
· Community schools use the bulk of their resources to directly assist schools in meeting their core instructional mission, while also strengthening the health and well-being of students, families and neighborhoods.
· Diversified funding in community schools leverages district dollars 3:1.
· Collaborative leadership structures support finance and other key functions at the site and system level.
· A mix of public and private sector partners expands financial, as well as technical and political capacity.
· Full-time site coordination contributes essential site level capacity at minimal cost.
Peer Voices – Watch these short video clips to see what your fellow superintendents have to say about their challenges and successes in community school implementation. Stay tuned for more video!
· Dr. Bruce Penland addresses governance and sustainability:
· Keith Lester discusses:
1. Cross-organization governance:
2. School board involvement AND branding:
3. Managing mental health partners:
Other resources - The role of a school district superintendent in promoting the vision and expansion of the community school strategy is critical in many communities across the nation. Learn how they are incorporating the community school strategy into their districts through these interviews:
· Oakland Unified School District-A New Full-Service Community School District! An interview with Superintendent Tony Smith
· Community Schools: A Brilliant Flash of the Obvious in Providence Public Schools. An interview with Superintendent Tom Brady
Here are several examples of Job Descriptions of System-level Community School Director
Coalition staff will populate this page with new materials periodically, so remember to bookmark this page! Please email us with any questions and we will make sure to respond promptly.