Why are Policymakers Supporting Community Schools? A conversation with School and Local Government Leaders Monday May 18, 2009

Agenda Welcome from the Coalition for Community Schools, Marty Blank, Director Why Community Schools? Mayor Kathy Taylor, Tulsa, OK Insight from the Inside – Superintendent Dr. Karen S. Angello, Allentown, PA Local Government Leadership for Community Schools, Lolenzo Poe, Senior Policy Advisor, Portland, OR

Why Community Schools? Presented by: Mayor Kathy Taylor, Tulsa, OK

Tulsa’s Need Number of Tulsa Public School kids in poverty:82.9% Tulsa’s dropout rate:29.8% Number of students who did not graduate from Oklahoma’s high schools last year14,700 Lost lifetime earning for the 2007 class of drop-outs$3.8 b Savings to Oklahoma in health care costs if they had earned their diplomas $137.6 mil

Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative (TACSI) Successful Students Healthy Families Engaged Communities

Community Schools – Insight from the Inside Presented by: Karen S. Angello, Ph.D., Superintendent of Allentown School District

The Allentown School District Fourth largest district in Pennsylvania, 22 schools,18,000 students Lehigh Valley’s changing demographics and impact on the city of Allentown Snapshot of academic performance, forward motion and challenges Barriers to progress: lack of coordinated supports for students & their families and inconsistent communication links

COMPASS Community Schools: Connecting Community, Creating Pathways Purpose: linking schools/communities in effective ways to address student achievement and poverty Key features: principal leading vision, full-time co- located staff from partner organization, parents at table of site-based leadership team, results- focused plan, web of partnerships, programs, services Benefits: authentic parent/community engagement, process to organize/connect meaningful programs and services

Genuine Positive Results: Three ASD Community Schools Contribution to academic progress Dozens of examples…improved parent engagement Community School Coordinators as trusted relationship managers Authentic community engagement and investment in student success and neighborhood improvement

Lehigh Valley’s Community School Initiative: In Forward Motion Expansion and growth in the Allentown School District Continued blending of community investors for success Expanding services and increased parent engagement/leadership development United Way’s commitment to expand Community Schools across the region

Local Government Leadership for Community Schools Presented by: Lolenzo T. Poe, Jr., Senior Policy Advisor to Chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Multnomah County, Oregon

Multnomah County, Department of County Human Services 53 SUN Community School sites across 6 school districts –This represents about 1/3 of the County’s schools Our initiative is a partnership between Multnomah County, the City of Portland, School Districts, Non-Profit Organizations and business SUN Community Schools are part of a larger coordinated system of comprehensive services delivered countywide called the SUN Service System

Why Community Schools in Multnomah County Community Schools is one of the key priorities of the County Chair and is an important anti-poverty strategy None of us can do it alone - SUN is about bringing together all important entities that need to work together to ensure success of all of our children and families; sharing this work makes it stronger

Expansion of Community Schools 3 elements of “expansion” over the past 3 years: –Partnership Development & Joint Ownership –Every School a Community School –Statewide Initiative

Challenges the SUN Initiative Has Faced Funding Politics Ownership

Additional Resources Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative Lehigh Valley, COMPASS Initiative Portland, OR, Schools Uniting Neighborhoods 4b1110VgnVCM bc614acRCRD 4b1110VgnVCM bc614acRCRD Coalition for Community Schools

Contact Information for Local Initiatives Lehigh Valley, PA - Marci Ronald, Tulsa, OK - Jan Creveling, Portland, OR - Peggy Samolinski,

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