Nearly every educator will agree that, increasingly, children are coming into the classroom facing non-academic challenges that affect the children’s ability to learn.
Schools are expected ”“ in fact, mandated ”“ to teach all children, helping them to learn and develop into successful adults, regardless of the challenges the children may be facing outside of school. That’s a tall order for our teachers and our schools. Many barriers to academic success arise from circumstances well beyond the control of our educators. Poverty. Domestic violence. Untreated mental illness. Addiction. These challenges and others can hinder or even derail a child’s chance at academic success.
Unaddressed, these challenges diminish the likelihood of graduation, put higher education out of reach and successful employment in doubt. For some students, these challenges increase the likelihood of long-term unemployment, misuse of drugs or alcohol, and incarceration, making success even more difficult to achieve.
Sen. Rebekah Millett has introduced a bill, LD 956, “An Act to Create Community Schools,” which would fund five pilot programs for five years to support our communities in developing and maintaining a comprehensive approach to academics, health and social services, youth development and community engagement. All of these will lead to improved student learning, healthier outcomes and stronger communities.
Community Schools leverage the assets already available in the community ”“ services and expertise ”“ that can help students overcome non-academic barriers to success at school. The community school model brings together business, law enforcement, faith communities, parents, students, clubs, community-based organizations, and helps to organize these assets around an identified goal, all in support of helping educators and students work together toward success. You can learn more about Community Schools at www.communityschools.org.
By bringing families and community resources together to make sure the physical, emotional, economic and health needs of all families can be addressed, students can be motivated and engaged in learning during school time.
The Community Schools model does not duplicate resources; it merely enables school personnel to form productive partnerships with resources and programs that already exist. This common sense approach is a prudent use of scarce resources, and deserves support. We urge enactment of LD 956.
Claudette Dupee and Barbara Crider
York County Community Action Corporation
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