Community Schools: A Model That Works

As our society grapples with systemic inequity, more communities are asking: What role can schools play in creating a more equitable future? If you’re following this national conversation, you’ve probably heard the term “Community School” raised by educators and elected officials alike. You might be surprised to learn that Monarch School has already been operating as a community school for decades. As a result, we find ourselves well equipped to articulate the impact of this approach and why more school sites should consider facilitating closer partnerships with service providers, students and families.

Although community schools have recently found their way back into public focus, they’ve been around since the early 20th century. According to the American Federation of Teachers, a community school is best described as an educational environment that successfully integrates student support, expanded learning time, progressive curriculum, caregiver engagement and social practices that are intended to nurture resilience and healing among students who’ve faced myriad life traumas¹.

Research shows that the community school model works because when students and their families access stabilizing resources within the school environment, academic performance improves, and students achieve a measure of security that leads to better emotional health ². A community school allows for more engagement with families and meaningful relationships between students, teachers, faculty, social care providers and caregivers.

Here at Monarch, we evolved to community school status out of necessity.

Monarch students walk through our doors carrying the heavy burden of housing insecurity and the host of physical, mental, and emotional health barriers that emerge from this untenable social condition. Teachers and social care professionals that connect with students on our campus understand that education extends beyond the classroom. Additionally, they recognize that academics are a critical but not singularly important aspect of our collective work.

The hybrid educational and social support model at the heart of Monarch enables our students and their caregivers to access the practical support they need and build relationships with the trusted team members they can rely on for partnership while navigating life challenges.

Our onsite school health technician supports the daily health needs of our students, and a partnership with the local health clinic can enable treatment for caregivers on campus. Extended school days and a school year that keeps our doors open through the summer facilitates fun enrichment activities and academic remediation. These strategies not only keep students engaged but they also help them stay focused and on track for graduation.

We count on our well-trained team of onsite mental health clinicians and behavioral intervention specialists to help students express themselves in a therapeutic setting and manage their emotional ups and downs. We involve parents as partners as well as learners, offering them the opportunity to develop or nurture a skill. Parents and caregivers can come to our campus to participate in parenting classes, prepare and share a meal, receive housing and social service support, or simply discuss obstacles and potential solutions in a collegial setting.

As a community school, we also look outside our own walls to connect students with the best possible care and resources. We build partnerships with other local health and social service agencies and community-based nonprofits. These partnerships allow us to offer impactful services within our campus community. Services include a monthly farmer’s market in partnership with our local food bank and produce distribution vendor or the mobile food pantry that reliably offers shelf stable items to our students and their families.

Community schools are unlikely to address every challenge facing marginalized peoples; that will require bigger and broader partnerships at the cross section of society. However, they have an impressive history of linking students and their families to resources, support, and opportunities that mitigate barriers to stability and encourage the emotional health that is necessary for academic and social success.

Schools can and should be part of a vital strategy for offering dignified and respectful access points intended to address the implications of systemic conditions that foster social disparity. I am proud to say that Monarch has played a part in this long history, and we are continuing to dream big about how we might do more for more kids. As we continue to build this environment for our students at Monarch, I hope we’ll soon be working alongside many other leaders charting this course for our future together.

Sources:
1. American Federation of Teachers. (n.d.). Home/Our Members/PreK-12 Public Education/Publications and Resources. Retrieved from American Federation of Teachers: https://www.aft.org/position/community-schools
2. Anna Maier, J.D. (2017, December 14). Home/Equitable Resources and Access. Retrieved from Learning Policy Institute: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/community-schools-effective-school-improvement-brief