1. The Role of the Community School
Coordinator
Janice Chu-Zhu,
Senior Director, National Capacity Building

2. Objectives of This Session
Learn about the stages of development of a community school.
Explore the essential skills used in the CSC role.
Understand the difference between co-location and integration.
Begin assessing alignment issues and opportunities at your schools.

3. CAS Role as a Lead Agency in a CS
CAS Community School Approach and Concepts:
CAS as a central stakeholder in the educational, physical, and social planning for our schools.
A strong working partnership that allows for the functioning as a team with a common goal: to better serve the needs of each student and family.
CAS as the organization that manages/organizes/coordinates the work around enrichment and non academic barriers.
CAS as the organization that consistently promotes the need for an integrated approach independently of who is funding specific programs.
CAS is a major provider of programs and services in our community schools
Brian experiences with Beacons as a lead agency partner in his schools. Will talk to that.
Overall , diff agencies.
Overall, 2-3 staff and provide TA to Beacons and lead partners and funded centrally.

4. The Role of the Coordinator
The heart of the Community School Coordinator’s role is to partner with the principal in supporting the School Improvement Plan.

5. Role of a CS Coordinator
The Community School Coordinator is the Lead Agency’s on-site representative who serves as liaison and partner with the principal.
Co-leads the Community School (with the Principal) – Together, they craft the vision and engage and excite others about the vision, ensure that programming is supporting the vision and outline the general direction of the partnership.
The CSD serves as the lead for the non-instructional program in the school.
Clear role
Brian-any differences or similarities?

6. The Community School Coordinator’s Skill Set (Essential Skills)
Assessing
Responding
Problem-Solving
Organizing
Communicating (includes listening, speaking, writing, reading)
Demonstrating Value
Leading
Managing
Building Trust
Negotiating

7. The Roles and Responsibilities of the CS Director
Organizational representative
Manages programs
Educates on CS
Manages staff
Brokers and tends to relationships
Engages family and community
Oversees or leads communication to public about CS
Develops partnerships
Creates opportunities for involvement
Maintains “swinging door” relationships with community
are as follows:
Organizational representative –Represents his/her organizational interest and priorities in the partnership; ensures that the organizational competencies are utilized and add value to the school; educates others in the organization about the partnership and, as appropriate, advocates for the partnership needs within the organization.
Manages programs – Monitors program quality, appropriateness, responsiveness and timeliness; ensures alignment of day & afternoon programs; develops procedures and policies as needed; ensures that programming promotes developmentally appropriate skills and supports all development domains; ensures programming is culturally appropriate and responsive to the populations served.
Educates – Provides information on the partnership, educates on the nature and scope of the partnership and help others to understand their role in it.
Manages staff – Hires, orients and supervises staff, provides professional development, adheres to organizational procedures.
Brokers and tends relationships to strengthen the partnership and what it offers to the school and families.
Engages the community by attending or convening activities that involve the community.
Oversees or leads communication and public education about Community School.
Develops strong partnership with Principal through joint planning and ongoing communication and problem-solving.
Engages the community in this vision by creating opportunities for involvement with the school; helps the school maintain a “swinging door” that brings the community into the school to participate and assist, and that reaches out to the community to contribute to its betterment.

8. Stages of Development in a Community School
Exploring
Emerging
Maturing
Excelling
Exploring – when we begin to learn, develop a plan, and reach out broadly across our communities to build our partnerships
Emerging – when we are beginning to put in place the staffing, management, governance structures and find the resources to offer programming and services.
Maturing – when we are continuing to plan, raise funds, and integrating our practices into the work of the school
Excelling – when we are continuously improving, adapting, developing new leaders and teaching others the CS strategy

9. Key components of a CS Programs & Services Management & Governance
Staffing
Integration
Parent Engagement
Community Involvement
Partnerships
Evaluation
Sustainability

10. Relationship Building

11. Remember the Three Mantras of Community Schools
It’s all about relationships.
Everything has to be negotiated all the time.
For community schools to work, the partners have to keep the word “yes” written in their hearts.

12. Honing Skill Sets: A Developmental Process
It is important to know how to seek out supervision to practice or gain effective negotiation or other skills for such situations
Don’t join crazy! Know when to hold back, step back, observe and when to step-in
Remember: It’s not personal, It’s not about YOU!
Don’t fear confrontation—EMBRACE it.
Look for opportunities to demonstrate value. Look for a situation that you can help resolve.
Focus on specific areas to “operationalize” the concept of lead partner such as after school or health/mental health services.

13. Kent School Services Network
Technical Assistance (CAS)
Leadership Team
Shared Vision
Policy Alignment
Resource Development
Kent County Admin, School District Leadership, Kent Health Dep’t, DHS, Network 180, Spectrum Health, Major Donors, Kent ISD, DA Blodgett
Evaluation (PPA)
Systemic Managers
Partner Coordination
Protocol Development
Data Sharing
KSSN Project Director, Agency Managers, School District Managers, Site Supervisors, Program & Service Provider Managers
School-Based Teams
Needs Assessments
Implementation
Outcomes
Principal, Community School Coordinator, School Staff, Teachers, Providers, DHS Staff, Partners, Parents, Community Members

14. Moving Toward Coordination & Integration

15. CAS Developmental Triangle
core instructional program
educational & cultural enrichment
Connector points, you are the 411
services that remove barriers to learning
physical health
mental health
dental health
social services

16. Strategies for Working with Teachers
Teacher orientation at the start of each year
Focus groups with teachers on student needs
Individual meetings with teachers
Mental health consultation with teachers (can include classroom management observations)
Teacher professional development (e.g., ages and stages of child development; home-school connection)

17. More Strategies for Engaging Teachers
Teacher recognition events
Outreach to and relationship-building with union chapter leader in your school
Using common core standards to integrate OST with core instructional program
Being a good partner in sharing space
Hiring teachers in OST programs (ed. coord.)
Attending grade-level and staff meetings

18. Integration Activity Activity Co-Location Integration
Parent Engagement Activities/Events
Separate events for school and after-school
Joint planning and design with Parents, veteran parents deliver the Orientation Night
Black/Latino History Celebrations
Separate events sponsored by school and CBO

20. Application Activity - Case Study
What else could the Director do to enhance and visibly demonstrate their role of being a Lead Agency Partner in the building?
How could the Director get more support from her organization? Her principal? The school staff? The parents or community?
How could the CBO/Coordinator market what they are doing that represents their vision and is aligned with the Superintendents goal for CBOs in schools?

21. nationalcenterforcommunityschools.org