HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

Dear stanley, I’m writing you with exciting news: the Senate is considering a bill now to replace No Child Left Behind, and we have an opportunity to give thousands more young people additional opportunities and supports that come through strong school-community partnerships. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is offering an amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 to establish a full-service community schools program that would award five-year grants to districts and community partners to implement community schools. This is a great opportunity to reach many more young people, schools and communities with the community school strategy. To make sure this amendment passes, we need to flood the Senate with calls. Here's how you can help: Call the switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask the operator to connect to one of your Senators. Once you're connected to your first Senator's office, tell the person who answers the phone: "My name is _____ and I'm a constituent. I urge the Senator to support Senator Brown’s amendment to establish a full-service community schools grant program to the Every Child Achieves Act. Community schools improve student achievement and strengthen family and community engagement. Community schools respond to each community’s unique context and are in high demand across the country, and I urge the Senator to support this amendment." Call the switchboard again, ask to be connected with your other Senator, and repeat step #2. Every single phone call will help to get this passed. Thank you in advance for calling your Senators to urge them to support this program as an innovative strategy that brings together school, family and community for young people’s success.  Thank you for everything you do for young people, families and communities.  Sincerely, Mary Kingston Roche  Director of Public Policy Coalition for Community Schools Institute for Educational Leadership rochem@iel.org