Read the full post from CSLX here.
“As we welcome a new school year–and as our community school initiatives mature–one truth is clear: community schools only become ‘the way we do school’ when we strengthen and align our systems to hold the work together.
With more districts scaling up, the charge is urgent: systems must work in concert to realize a shared vision and embed community school into everyday practice. As California’s state and federal community school grants wind down, sustainability, buy-in, and alignment are non-negotiable. This is not a temporary project – it’s the core of how schools operate.
And here’s the key: community schools are not a program. They’re a strategy–essentially just schooling, done well. Making that shift requires broad participation at ALL levels of the district —from department and central office leaders, to the cabinet, school sites, partners and even the board. When people feel included, aligned to the mission, and united around shared outcomes, collaboration becomes second nature. That’s the foundation of coherence.”