Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities

For the last decade, advocates for community schools determined that it was necessary to renew a core American value—that our public schools should be centers of flourishing communities where everyone belongs and works together to help our young people thrive. This movement is still growing. In April, hundreds of community school leaders and supporters will […]

In the Lower Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, the community has transformed an abandoned row house that served as a crack house into a renovated early childhood center that supports the neighborhood’s youngest residents. This center, connected to the Oyler Community Learning Center, a Pre-K-12 school building, is part of Cincinnati Public Schools’ district-wide

This summer, the House and Senate passed their separate bills to replace No Child Left Behind of 2002, the current federal education law.  Education stakeholders are hopeful Congress will finish a bill this year to replace what most agree is a broken law. The Senate’s bill contains several wins for the community schools movmement, including

In June, over one thousand educators, parents, community-based partners, and fellow stakeholders in education convened at the second annual National Family and Community Engagement Conference to discuss the role of family engagement in K-12 education. This idea of family involvement in schools has recently begun to receive national attention due to the overwhelmingly positive results

The Coalition for Community Schools honored two initiatives and five schools from Baltimore, Md., Chicago, Ill., Salt Lake, Utah, and San Fernando, Calif. The Community Schools Awards for Excellence were followed by a policy briefing on Capitol Hill. The award winners and local community school leaders met with their senators and representatives to advocate for

Many people agree that the current federal education law No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is broken, but Congress is having trouble agreeing on how to fix it. These next few months are seen as the crucial window for updating this troubled law during President Obama’s tenure. IEL and its Coalition for Community Schools are working

Every day, teachers—especially those in our poorest communities—are asked to address their students’ multiple out-of-school needs, including healthcare, social support, housing, and nutrition, while still achieving high academic success. Thankfully, many teachers no longer need to stand alone. IEL’s Coalition for Community Schools recently sat down with Menlo Park Elementary School Principal Kellie Burkhardt and

IEL’s Coalition for Community Schools organized a study tour for 25 Capitol Hill, executive branch, and association staffers to Baltimore to learn about the city’s community school strategy and how it is driving outcomes for young people, families, and communities.The tour highlighted key stakeholders: Family League of Baltimore, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Elev8 Baltimore.

Increasingly community and parent organizations have organized to advocate for education reform, including Journey for Justice Alliance led by Jitu Brown. Born on Chicago’s south side and a product of its public schools, Brown has organized the Kenwood Oakland neighborhood for 17+ years, bringing community voices to the table on school issues. Says Brown, “We are organizing in