A group of teachers and child advocates hope to bring a new kind of education not only to local children, but also to their families.
The community school model has seen success in places like Tulsa, Oakland and New York. Local leaders believe this could be a response to state budget and education concerns.
On Tuesday, teachers, parents and business partners gathered at Epperly Heights Elementary School in Del City to hear how this idea could work for them.
In addition to educating students, community schools also provide health care, English language learning and other adult services, and family reunification activities. However, instead of taxpayers footing the bill, service providers partner with the schools themselves.
“When we see communities wrapping around schools, we see attendance improve, we see graduation rates improve and eventually we start looking at literacy rates and test scores that start to go down. ‘improve,’ said Erin Velez, program manager for the Center for Community School Strategies in Tulsa. .
Currently, Edgemere Elementary is the Oklahoma City area only community school.
Epperly Heights already houses a pantry and locker room for students in need. Pamela Finch, a town councilor and small business owner, agrees that it takes a whole village to raise a child.
She said: “We need to support our children and our schools. It is our base, our foundation for our communities, not to mention our future.
Those who have seen other community schools in action are believers. That’s why organizers say more and more communities are putting the idea into practice.
“It’s because people are realizing that schools can’t do this job on their own,” Velez said. “They have to have partnerships to make it happen.”
To learn more about community school initiatives across the country, click here.
To learn more about the Tulsa Center for Community School Strategies, click here.
(7).JPG)
