Community Schools and the Continued Struggle for Equitable Education in Black Communities

• In Event: 51.044 - Separate and Equitable: Can Community Schools Offer Equitable but Racially Segregated Educational Opportunities?

Abstract

Schools that address the educational needs of students and create spaces in which they can develop pride in themselves and their communities can improve student outcomes on multiple measures. The community school model has the potential to be such a resource in our communities if implementation centers and supports the leadership of community members to strengthen both the school and the neighborhood. In fact, the community school approach draws from schools that served Black students during Jim Crow segregation, that functioned as community hubs and social centers in which students, parents, teachers and community members could build, share resources and address issues in a collaborative manner (Richardson, 2009; Rogers, 1998). Our communities have a rich tradition of organizing for self-determination, and community schools can continue this tradition.

As Black parents and community organizers, we share our perspective about the urgency of implementing community schools that are culturally responsive and address the issues that Black and Latino students face. We organize for community schools in New York City (NYC) and with the Journey for Justice Alliance’s #WeChoose campaign calling for 10,000 community schools nationally, seeing this as an important part of the solution to educational equity. We also organize for fiscal equity and culturally responsive education, so schools in our communities can address the emotional, educational and social needs of our children. Too often our schools are under-resourced, leaving teachers and administrators lacking support, ultimately impacting the young people in those schools.

Through our collective organizing we won community schools and continue to work with the NYC Department of Education to support and improve the implementation of the model. In addition to this work, in our two organizations we organize and advocate for policy change at the district and state level that will address the underlying issues that make it difficult to implement community schools in a way that serve the needs of our communities. The presenter's organization has led a long‐term campaign for fiscal equity, demanding that students from marginalized backgrounds have access to resources that help address histories of disinvestment and systemic racism. They also form part of (Presenter's Organization), a parent‐led movement for educational equity and excellence in NYC’s public schools. These campaigns together seek to resource schools in our communities in equitable ways, while also addressing factors in the schools that impact learning, such that the community school initiative can successfully address our needs.

Our presentation will center on our organizing for community schools in NYC and nationally as part of securing strong schools in our communities, bringing a community‐based knowledge that is essential for school and district leaders to incorporate into their implementation strategies.

Author

• Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Alliance for Quality Education