COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Case studies of what works Baltimore 03 Maryland 03 BALTIMORE CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Community schools, out-of-school-time programs (learning opportunities that take place outside the typical school day), and wraparound services have long existed, separately, in order to meet the needs of Baltimore youth and families. In the early 2000s, these various efforts were uncoordinated, which limited their impact. In 2012, the mayor’s office and Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) adopted the Family League of Baltimore’s Community and School Engagement strategy to align the resources and goals of the schools and community. The strategy engaged community-based organizations, such as Elev8 Baltimore and the Y in Central Maryland, to coordinate community school and out-of-school-time efforts. Today, BCPS has approximately 50 community schools engaging with a variety of community partners. The Family League (http:// familyleague.org/), a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization, currently manages funding, partnerships and development, as well as convenes the community school initiative coordinating community partners at the city level. Marietta English, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) (http://www.baltimoreteachers.org/), and her members play a key role at school sites as well as at the district and city levels, helping serve the whole child and helping achieve the city’s community school vision. Baltimore’s public school needs achieving this, because each Education Roundtable that included and assets are as diverse as their school tailors its strategy to the community school staff, families population of 82,000 students, specific needs of the school. and students, as well as politicians, creating a rich set of opportunities local community leaders, and and challenges. Twenty-four community organizations such as percent of Baltimore residents Role of the Union: Working Maryland’s Communities United and with children live in poverty, which Smart with the Community the Center for Popular Democracy.6 is above the state and national and District The Education Roundtable was averages, 8 and 15 percent established by President English 1 BTU seeks “to ensure that every respectively. Sixty-five percent of student in the city is guaranteed as a strategy to respond to AFT students qualify as low-income and a program of quality education.”5 President Randi Weingarten’s 5.6 percent are English language call to action: Reclaiming the 2 For BCPS community schools, this learners (ELL). Larger percentages means ensuring that effective Promise of Public Education. The of these two types of populations Roundtable has played a crucial 3 systems and funding are in place attend community schools. to provide necessary supports role in reclaiming Baltimore’s While 77 percent of kindergarten both at school and out of school. promise by addressing education students are at grade level “ready opportunities and challenges, to learn,” only 55 percent of Ensuring Sustainability while increasing collaboration students are reading at “proficient Through Advocacy among diverse stakeholders and or advanced” levels by eighth groups representing parents, grade.4 Educators, administrators One of the ways in which BTU educators and community and community partners are sustains high-quality education members, notes Chandra Carriere, countering poverty’s impact, such programs is by advocating for BTU field representative and as hunger and poor health, by resource equity. BTU’s partnership community schools liaison. creating meaningful partnerships with the Community Schools to leverage the resources and to Initiative deepened when the Creating Deep Roots help students be ready to learn. initiative was experiencing funding Through Policy difficulties. BTU not only helped Demaune Millard, interim president BTU’s partnership with BCPS and CEO of the Family League, push for increased funding but also leveraged the union’s and the community helped drive notes that each community school the enactment of Maryland addresses students’ academic organizing assets to advocate for expanding the initiative. In House Bill 1139 (http://mgaleg. and nonacademic needs, but maryland.gov/2016RS/bills/hb/ also emphasizes that “there is this effort, they collaborated with a coalition of allies from the hb1139T.pdf) and community no cookie-cutter method” in school board policy. H.B. 1139 PAGE 2 / AFT defines community schools and and resources that are available in Medical Services in the funding that schools could their respective schools, as well as Baltimore Schools receive; it also requires the state to professional development in areas At Collington Square Elementary/ notify districts about the possibility such as team-leadership skills. Middle School, along with of creating community schools daily basic health services, this and support them through the community school offers vision, development process.7 BTU helped School-Based Health Centers: Caring for the Whole Child dental and social services for shape the school board and students provided by SBHC Maryland state policy language, and Family partners. In the 2015-16 school and the union provided testimony In addition to a culturally year, more than 400 students and at local and state hearings. responsive and engaging families visited the school-based Additionally, BTU mobilized union curriculum, other key components health center. Collington Square members and the community to of community schools are Assistant Principal Nicholas Brown increase support for the policy. comprehensive services, says that having so many health The school board policy created community engagement, and resources and information in one the community schools advisory a welcoming culture to support place is powerful because “when board and the steering committee, students’ nonacademic needs. we recognize a need, we are able which guides the partnerships, The Baltimore Community School to address it immediately. If you funding, strategies, and evaluation Initiative has a strong focus on get a prescription from a doctor, of the Community Schools Initiative. strengthening student health. you can have it filled right there, The co-chairs of this advisory Ensuring that children are healthy— ensuring that you will get it.” board, representing out-of-school- both physically and mentally—is Teachers also attest to the positive time and lead agencies (i.e., the crucial to their success outcomes, effects of SBHCs. Jenna Gifford, lead coordinating partner at a skills achievement and academic a preschool teacher at Tench community school), have appointed growth. A student who comes to Tilghman Elementary/Middle School positions on the steering committee school hungry, sick or stressed will recognizes that the care expands along with Family League, city and be unable to focus on learning. beyond her classroom and into the district officials. BTU is represented 8 Students in poverty can be ready community. For example, some on the steering committee and to learn if school-based health of her students need frequent continues to encourage the centers are available to mitigate bloodwork in order to receive initiative’s priorities within its students’ health and hunger needs. medication; Tilghman’s SBHC membership and with other allies. Baltimore Medical System, one of completes the whole process on the city’s community school health school premises, so students don’t Creating Innovative partners, operates eight school- miss class. The SBHC also provides Partnerships based health centers (SBHC) in start-of-school vaccinations for Partnerships, both public and the school district. Judi Lockett, students and provides care during private, are essential in community SBHC project manager at Baltimore after-school and summer hours schools. BTU helps leverage Medical System, notes that SBHCs for students’ siblings who are resources from its relevant partners offer a way to provide breadth too young for school. By serving to assist community schools, says of services, including well-child students, siblings and parents, the Carriere. One such partner is First exams, common illness treatment, SBHC has created an even greater Book (https://www.firstbook. sports physicals, medication connection between families, org/). Through this partnership, delivery, vaccinations, health the school and the community. BTU is able to assist students education and reproductive health and families in creating home services. “This piece of education libraries, thereby extending the is huge,” emphasizes Lockett. Promising Results: Improving focus on literacy well beyond With reproductive education and Student Attendance and the school day. This partnership access to birth control options, teen Outcomes also supplies schools with “care pregnancy rates have decreased 9 SBHCs are contributing to positive closets” to support student basic 36 percent across the city. results for students in Baltimore needs and personal hygiene. The B’More for Healthy Babies community schools that have been BTU’s partnerships with food initiative, another partner in the in operation for more than five banks are another important Baltimore Community School years. Elementary and middle school collaboration, which helps ensure Initiative, is also playing a crucial student attendance has increased that students and families have role through its focus on awareness by 41 percent and 48 percent, access to healthy foods at schools. and access to health supports. respectively.10 These community BTU also