New state office could focus on community schools

Growing strategy covers students' broader needs

By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... New Jersey lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to cerate a new office within the state Department of Education tasked with broadening supports for students.
..... A bill that would establish the state Office of Community Schools unanimously cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday. [06/22/2023]
..... The office would focus on addressing student needs through "community-based educational development, family, health and other comprehensive services," the legislation says.
..... It would be up to the state's commissioner of education to staff the office with people "qualified by training and experience related to community-based learning."
..... The legislation to create the office, introduced by Assembly speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, draws on similar programs that exist in other states, California recently invested $4 billion in a program to transition thousands of public schools into community schools over the next seven years.
..... Tiffany Miller, the director of federal policy for the national Learning Policy Institute, acknowledged that there are a "growing number of states: investing in community schools as a "strategy to address long-standing social inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic."
..... "The community schools strategy transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development," Miller said. "As partners, they organize in-and-out-of-school resources, supports and opportunities so that young people thrive."
..... Under the community schools model, officials create an environment in which "schools are able to generate optional, 'whole child,' conditions for student learning and development," Miller said.
..... Miller also noted that research indicates community schools can lead to improvements in areas like attendance, academic achievement, high school graduation rates and reduced racial and economic achievement gaps.
..... Coughlin said the "concept of community schools has quietly gained popularity in recent years through the work of grassroots organizations" and that they "provide critical community services to neighborhoods at local schools.
..... "The local school building serves as the anchor of most neighborhoods, so it makes perfect sense to synergism local programs and services that serve parents and students alike under one familiar roof," Coughlin said. "With education groups recommending that the state do more to promote community schools, I believe establishing a new office in the New Jersey Department of Education is the next logical step to brining stakeholders together to make more community schools a reality."

What would the office cost?

..... The office would cost an estimated $10 million, with $2 million coming from the general fund and the remaining $8 million from the federal State Fiscal Recovery Fund, made up of money from the American Rescue Plan.
..... This new office would have to submit an annual report to the governor and the Legislature and would take effect immediately and apply to the first full school year after its enactment.

What would the office do?

..... The office would be responsible for:

* Providing training and support for public schools interested in adopting community school strategies.

* Increasing the knowledge and skills of school staff and community partners to aid in the implementation, management and sustainability of community schools

* Providing grants to public schools for the purposes of adopting community school strategies.

* Providing a list of school districts, renaissance schools and charter schools that have established community schools, to be published on the department's Internet website.

* Increasing statewide capacity to support effective community school strategies.

* Identifying and evaluating the needs of community schools in order to provide tailored technical assistance and professional development opportunities.

What comes next?

..... Although the bill has cleared committee, it would still need to pass the full Assembly. companion legislation has been introduced in the state Senate but has yet to appear before a committee. It would need to clear the committee and the full state Senate before it can make its way to the governor's desk.

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