NEA


Dear NEA Community Schools Implementation Network, 

 

Our March monthly network learning community meeting is Thursday, March 23 at 1pm ET. Our meeting is scheduled to run 90 minutes, and we will be offering 3 breakout options during the meeting to best meet your learning and strategic planning needs. Here is next week’s zoom link. (Meeting ID: 959 127 3774 Passcode: happy20) 

 

Following up from February’s learning community meeting, thank you to everyone who was able to join us last month. Here is a link to access the recording of last month's meeting. 

 

Network Spotlights:

 

Georgia is in the second year of the Whole Child Model School recognition initiative.  Three districts, 11 schools, and 11 Whole Child Model School Coordinators are implementing the Whole Child Model School strategy to transform public schools in Georgia.  This school year the Georgia Department of Education will be recognizing the first cohort as Whole Child Model School. Model expansion is creating positive change for students and other stakeholders! 

 

The United Teachers of Richmond and West Contra Costa Unified School District reached a historic agreement that secured contract language institutionalizing shared decision making for students, families, educators, and community members in the governance of our community schools.  Community school highlights in the agreement include: updating the WCCSD community schools board resolution, educator voice in community school designation, codifying shared leadership structures (districtwide steering committee, site-based governance committee, and collective impact/systems change collaborative), flexibility in community school coordinator hiring, meaningful representation and compensation of parents, students, and community members, and stipends for community school educator leads. The agreement also includes a 14.5% salary increase, class size limits and permanent paid parental leave. Way to go UTR and WCCUSD!

 

Let us know what is happening at your Community School Sites so we can highlight the great work happening across the country in our newsletters and during our monthly meetings! Please submit your local community school spotlights here!

 

Take a moment or two and review this article from Edweek.org

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/a-town-put-a-senior-center-in-its-high-school-offering-a-model-for-an-aging-nati on/2023/03

If you and/or your Community School team is doing intergenerational work, we would like to connect with you and learn more about what you're doing! Reach out to Angelia at [email protected] and tell us about the intergenerational work happening as a result of your community school strategy. 

 

Upcoming Implementation Institute Orientation and Meeting Information:

Our next orientation session is March 23 at 3:00pm ET 

These orientation calls are an opportunity for those new to the Implementation Institute to understand the rich history of the Community School work and the background of the Institute curriculum as well. Please reach out to Angelia Ebner at [email protected] to be added to the invitation for the upcoming orientation session being help via Zoom.

 

Our April Implementation Institute Meeting will be a special meeting co-hosted by the Grad Partnership on April 13 at 1pm ET

Register in advance for this meeting

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you have any trouble registering, please reach out to Dave at [email protected] or Angelia at [email protected] 

 

The COVID-19 pandemic created a level and intensity of student need that many current school efforts aren’t designed to meet. Teachers are working harder than ever before to help their students succeed, but they shouldn’t have to do this work alone. 

 

Join NEA and the GRAD Partnership to learn about student success systems, a strategy that brings together entire school communities to support the progress and well-being of all students. By focusing on relationships, actionable data, and evidence-based practices, student success systems help educators and communities build a sense of belonging and school connectedness among students, address school-wide achievement patterns, and meet individual student needs.  

 

Hear from practitioners at Manzano High School and district personnel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who implemented a student success system and saw real benefits for students, teachers, and the entire school community. They will share how they use real time, actionable data related to high school graduation and post-secondary readiness. Learn how student success systems complement teachers’ efforts to help students succeed by emphasizing schoolwide strategies and community support.

Speakers will include:

Bob Balfanz, Research Professor at JHU

Tara Madden, Chief Program Officer, Talent Development Secondary, TDS

G. Bryan Garcia, Community Schools Development Specialist, Albuquerque Public Schools

Jessica Dinsmore, Community School Coordinator, Manzano High School 

Jeanie Stark, MHS EWS Resource Teacher, APS Mentor Teacher

 

Our April NEA Strategy Session: Problem Solving for Improvement will be Monday April 10 at 1:00pm ET.

If you are in year 2 and beyond Community Schools already having completed, mapping, an initial Needs and Asset Cycle and have identified (or are in process) priorities in order to implement a school-wide improvement strategy, we invite you to join our ongoing strategy meetings being held the 2nd Monday of each month from 1-2pm ET. Please register for strategy session emails and calendar invites at this link. 

 

President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 

In early March, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. In the budget, it more than doubles funding to $368 million, to expand Full-Service Community Schools to better provide integrated student supports for students and their families. Read more at: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-us-secretary-education-miguel-cardona-presidents-fiscal-year-2024-budget

 

SEL Resources

NEA School Me Podcast

Another great resource for social emotional learning is a recent School Me podcast, Battling Educator Stress, E92 hosted by Natieka Samuels and special guest Todd Scholl from the Center for Educator Wellness and Learning. On this episode, listeners will explore more about being in the present moment and focused in order to create the conditions for peace and joy to emerge and finding ways to manage stress. 

 

 

Save the Date - NEA CS Implementation Network In-Person Pre-Conference in Philadelphia:

 

NEA is planning to host a Pre-Conference session at the IEL Coalition for Community Schools Conference in Philadelphia this June 2023.  

Please save the date on Tuesday, June 6 from 9am-5pm. 

What: NEA Community Schools Network Convening 

When:  Tuesday, June 6, 2023, from 9am-5pm

Where: 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

Why: To connect our NEA Implementation Institute Network face-to-face for a day of learning from each other through workshops, panel presentations, and networking

 

If you have not already done so: 

2023 Remaining Implementation Institute Meeting Dates and Links

All meetings are scheduled to start at 1pm ET 

  • March 23, 2023
  • April 13, 2023 
  • May 11, 2023 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9591273774?pwd=UFBKZTliZ3ljSHdSR2kxWG1pcnNvQT09

Meeting ID: 959 127 3774

Passcode: happy20

 

See you on March 23 @ 1pm ET! 

NEA Community School Coach Team 

 

Sincerely, 

Angelia Ebner (she, her), NBCT 

 

Senior Policy Analyst/Program Specialist – Community Schools

National Education Association

Teacher Quality Department

Center for Professional Excellence and Student Learning

1201 16th Street NW

Washington, DC 20036

M: 480-760-5601

 

Learn about Community Schools

Let's Connect, Click Here To Schedule a Meeting