Community Schools in California

COVID-19 has introduced isolation, physical and mental health concerns, and increased economic hardship to our state’s students and families. Schools and districts will need to develop stronger systems and capacity to facilitate access to effective services and support to meet student needs. The community school model has emerged as a promising approach for coordinating available resources in service of student learning and well-being.

Community schools partner with local agencies to align resources and integrate academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, this “whole child” approach can be seen as a comprehensive way to ensure that students and their families are able to secure essential services.

This webinar will present findings from two publications on community schools: the PACE brief “Community Schools: A Coronavirus Recovery Strategy;” and “Leveraging Resources Through Community Schools: The Role of Technical Assistance” by the Learning Policy Institute. The webinar will also feature perspectives from leaders at the school and county levels who will speak to what it takes to launch and sustain community schools. 

Panelists include:

• Hayin Kimner, independent research and policy consultant, and author of “Community Schools: A Coronavirus Recovery Strategy”
• Anna Maier, Research Analyst and Policy Advisor at the Learning Policy Institute, and lead author of “Leveraging Resources Through Community Schools: The Role of Technical Assistance”
• Michael Essien, Principal of Dr. Martin Luther King Middle School in the San Francisco Unified School District
• Jose Gonzales, Director of Community Schools Development at the Los Angeles County Office of Education

Moderated by Heather J. Hough, Executive Director, PACE