LOOKS LIKE DR.CRANE AND FORD SCHOOL WAS AHEAD OF THE GAME - TOO BAD THE DEMOLTION TEAM HAS MOVED IN

NEW LEGISLATION CALLS FOR STRONG SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO STRENGTHEN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Washington, DC – September 17, 2014

The Coalition for Community Schools and First Focus, representing millions of parents, teachers and other education professionals, students, higher education, youth development, health and social services and business leaders, commend Senator Bernie Sanders on the introduction of legislation to address the comprehensive needs of students through the Developing Innovative Partnerships and learning Opportunities that Motivate Achievement (DIPLOMA) Act. The legislation provides grants for states to strengthen student achievement in the classroom by addressing many challenges students face outside of school. Through tutoring, extended learning, health care and social support, the DIPLOMA Act will enable every student to reach his or her fullest potential.

 “Our nation needs, and our children deserve, a comprehensive approach to education. This important proposal eliminates a blind-spot in federal education policy, recognizing that what happens outside the classroom affects what happens inside the classroom,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus.

The DIPLOMA Act builds on successful initiatives including community schools that have emerged in places as diverse as Chicago, Evansville, Portland (OR), Tulsa and South King County (WA).

Senator Sanders’ own state of Vermont boasts Molly Stark Elementary School in Bennington, VT as the kind of school this bill would replicate. A full-service community school, Molly Stark offers on-site pediatric, psychological, dental, pre-school, nutrition, counseling, after school and summer school programs that address the opportunity gap so students and families can thrive. The schools’ Family Center partners with the Community College of Vermont to offer on-site college courses; Vermont Council on Humanities to offer literacy programs; and Bennington County Child Care Association to offer community leadership training for families to advocate for their community.

”When we acknowledge that over half of factors influencing student achievement occur outside of the classroom, and that children growing up in low-income communities face an opportunity gap, we realize that schools can and must do more to fill in those gaps in services and provide enriching opportunities for each and every child, said Martin J. Blank, President of the Institute for Educational Leadership and Director of the Coalition for Community Schools. “We also know that schools cannot do this alone, and community partners stand ready and willing to work with schools to help children and families succeed. We are grateful for Senator Sanders’ leadership to embed strong school-community partnerships in federal policy.” 

The Act authorizes states to help local school districts build community-wide partnerships to address nutrition, health, personal safety, family stability, and other factors that determine how well children can perform in school. The legislation authorizes grants over five years to help local schools engage parents, business leaders, teachers, principals and other education professionals, universities and community-based organizations. These locally-directed partnerships would assess the challenges standing between the community’s children and academic success, improve the coordination of existing assets to better meet those challenges and make additional investments to fill gaps in services ranging from tutoring and job training to health care, crime prevention and housing assistance. Local efforts would be evaluated, so the most promising models can be shared with other communities. By supporting these types of school-community partnership strategies, the DIPLOMA Act will help clear a path to a higher level of educational attainment for children and youth.

Endorsed by several organizations including: American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Opportunity Action, National Association of State Boards of Education, School-Based Health Alliance, National Association of School Psychologists, and Forum for Youth Investment.

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About First Focus Campaign for Children

First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visitwww.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

About the Coalition for Community Schools

The Coalition for Community Schools, housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), is an alliance of national, state and local organizations in education K–16, youth development, community planning and development, higher education, family support, health and human services, government, and philanthropy as well as national, state, and local community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools as a strategy to leverage local resources and programs, changing the look and feel of the traditional school structure to best meet the needs of children and families in the 21st century.

About the Institute for Educational Leadership

For a half-century, the Institute for Educational Leadership has championed the need for leaders at all levels to shake off their institutional constraints and work across boundaries to address the needs of young people and their families. Bound by no constituency, IEL serves as a catalyst that helps policymakers, administrators, and practitioners at all levels to bridge bureaucratic silos and undo gridlock to improve outcomes for all young people and their families. The work of IEL focuses on three pillars required for young people and their communities to succeed: Involving the broader community with public education to support the learning and development of young people; building more effective pathways into the workforce for all young people and supporting the transition to adulthood; and preparing generations of leaders with the know-how to drive collaborative efforts at all levels.