Community Organizing

Group of school girls

Community Organizing Research

Communities Working for Better Schools By Anne C. Lewis
Synopsis: This report is important for any school leader who has or is trying to build a relationship with the community.  It focuses on how to create sustainable school and community partnerships that result in high-quality, equitable education for all students.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://www.crosscity.org/downloads/communities_working.pdf
Cost:  Free to Download

Constituents of Change: Community Organizations and Public Education Reform By Kavitha Mediratta
Synopsis:  This paper offers a descriptive analysis of the education work of eight highly developed community organizing groups, and develops and articulates a dynamic, mixed method research design to specify the relationships that link organizing efforts to changes in schooling outcomes.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/iesp/publications/pubs/cip/ConstituentsofChange.pdf
Cost:  Free to Download

Organizing for School Reform: How Communities are Finding their Voices and Reclaiming their Public Schools By Kavitha Mediratta, Norm Fruchter, & Anne Lewis
Synopsis:  The study examines the work of 66 community groups that are organizing to improve public education in low-performing schools and districts. In this document, we describe the diversity of methods and approaches groups are using and report on the groups’ organizing achievements and challenges.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/iesp/publications/pubs/cip/org_schl_reform.pdf
Cost:  Free to Download

Rules for Radicals By Saul David Alinsky
Synopsis: This is a seminal work that will help school leaders and others understand the power and principles of community organizing. Many regard Alinsky as the "father" of modern community organizing. His views and methods continue to influence community organizing today, but the book is particularly useful for establishing a baseline and helping readers to understand how community organizing has evolved, and is evolving still, since Alinsky's time. 
Where to Find this Resource: http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Radicals-Saul-Alinsky/dp/0679721134/ref=sr_1_1/102-8832673-4443349?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176322696&sr=1-1
Cost: 12.95

Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Schools: A Comprehensive Series of Reports on the Findings of the Indicators Project on Education Organizing By the Cross City Campaign
Synopsis: This one-of-a-kind research project documents the results that empowered parents achieve in improving academic achievement and in strengthening community capacity. This is good reading for school leaders who want to encourage community participation in their school.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://www.crosscity.org/downloads/strong_neighbors_schools.pdf
Cost:  Free to Download

Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Schools Case Study: LSNA By Suzanne Blanc, Joanna Brown and Aida Nevarez-La Torre, RESEARCH FOR ACTION
Synopsis: Using a case study format, this report documents the contribution that community organizing makes to school reform, disseminate the findings, and forward the work these groups are doing.
Where to Find this Resource: http://www.lsna.net/content/2/documents/LSNAindicatorsstudy.pdf
Cost: Free to Download

Community Organizing Tools

Tips on Base Building: there are no short cuts! By Greg Akili, The Praxis Project
Synopsis:  This resource provides tips to build a base of support around a community issue.  This tool gives school leaders a basic understanding of how communities can organize to support young people.  
Where to Find this Resource: http://www.thepraxisproject.org/tools/Tips_on_Base_Building.pdf
Cost: Free to Download

Community Building Tools By Community Toolbox
Synopsis:  Here you will find over 200 sections of practical and detailed information about how to do the work of promoting community health and development.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/EN/tools_toc.htm
Cost:  Free to Download

Community Toolkits By Community Toolbox
Synopsis:  This toolkit is organized so that they can help organizers and others gain access to organize thoughts about the work, some examples of how the work could be accomplished, links to specific tools in the Community Tool Box, and then links to the CTB Learning Community where you will find forums and chat rooms in which you can gain more personal support.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/tk/en/corecompetencies.jsp
Cost:  Free to Download

Tools for Organizing By Citizen Works
Synopsis:  This tool provides a way to bring together people who share a common place such as a school or a neighborhood.
Where to Find this Resource:  http://www.citizenworks.org/tools/town/tools-town.php
Cost:  Free to Download

Community Organizing Websites