WestContraCostaCommunitySchoolsCommunity-drivenSchoolTransformation WhyCommunitySchools?
Communityschoolsbuildonourstrengthsandaddressdeep-seatedinequities. They:● Provideawholechildeducational approachtomeet students’ social, emotional, andacademicneeds.● Createpartnershipsbetweenschools, families, local governments, businesses, andcommunityorganizationstoaddresstheroot causesof academicdisparitiesandpromoteopportunitiesforallstudentstosucceed.● Offeressential support services, suchashealthcare, mental healthcounseling, andacademictutoring.● Prioritizefamilyandcommunityengagement, recognizingthat parentsandcommunitymembersareessential partnersinpromotingstudent successandcreatingasupportiveschool environment.
History
West ContraCostaUnifiedSchool District(WCCUSD) plantedtheseedsforitscurrentcommunityschoolsstrategyin2007withtheestablishment of school-basedhealthcentersat sixcomprehensivehighschools. Thisworkrecognizedthat WCCUSDwill onlyrealizeitsequitygoalsthroughbuildingonthestrengthsandassetsof thecommunitiesit serves.
StateFunding
In2022and2023, WCCUSDanditspartnerssuccessfullycompetedforover$36millioninstatecommunityschoolsinvestmentstobeutilizedoverthenext fiveyears, withoptionsforanadditional twoyears. Withthisfunding, thedistrict isworkingtosubstantiallyexpandandstrengthenitscommunityschoolsstrategy, buildingonitsrichhistoryofcommunityandcommunityschoolsorganizing.
WCCUSD’sNextGenerationofCommunitySchools:BuildingSystemsChange WCCUSD’sworkdevelopingitsnext generationof communityschoolsbuildsontherecognitionthatcollectivelyachievingourequitygoalsrequiresastrongfocusoncollaborationandtransformationatmultiplelevels, includingschool, district, andregional systems.Toachievethis, WCCUSDwill model acommunityschoolsengagement ethosat all levelsof thisworkandhascodifiedthiscommitment intherecentlyratifiedWCCUSD/UTRcollectivebargainingagreement. Partnersarecurrentlyco-designingandimplementingacommunityschoolssupportsystemthat involvesthreeinterrelatedcomponents, whicharemeant toinformeachother’sactivities:● ActionCollaboratives(school level)● Support Collaborative(district level)● SystemsChangeCollaborative(West County-systemslevel) Page1of 2
ACTIONCOLLABORATIVES- community schoolssite-levelsteeringcommittees CompositionStructuresvaryfromschooltoschool,butallaredesignedtopromotesharedleadershipanddecisionmaking. ● 50%ofmembers:Families,communitymembers,andstudents● 50%ofmembers:Classifiedandcertificatedstaff● SiteAdministrator● CommunitySchoolDirector(non-votingsupportrole) Function● Meettheschoolcommunity’suniqueneedsbybuildinguponsitestrengthsandassets.● Shareleadershipandengageallcommunitystakeholders.
SUPPORTCOLLABORATIVE- district-widecommunity schoolssteeringcommittee Composition● Co-chairedbyaWCCUSDdistrictleader, aUTRleader, andacommunitypartner(currently, theCityofSanPablo).Workisunderwaytoaddafourthparentco-chair.● Eachco-chairwillappointfivemembers,establishingadiverse,multi-sector, andmultidisciplinaryteam.
Function● Provideallcommunityschoolswitharobustsetofuniversalsupportsfocusingoncommunityengagement,positiveschoolclimate,andkeycommunityschoolsframeworkelements.● Decidehowfundsareallocatedandmaketechnicalassistancedecisionsbasedondistrictdata.
SYSTEMSCHANGECOLLABORATIVE- consortiumofWestCounty governmentalentities Composition(Proposed)● AsubcommitteeoftheWestCountyMayorsandSupervisorsAssociation(WCMSA).● Co-chairedbytheWCCUSDSuperintendentandtheDistrict1ContraCostaCountySupervisor.● Fromeachcity/countymemberofWCMSA:oneelectedofficialwithinterestinthisareaandonestaff person.● Supportedbyprivatephilanthropicfunding,facilitatedbyGPG.
Function● Acoordinatingmechanismfordistrict,city, andcountyleaderstoalignstrategies,policies,andfundinginsupportofandinpartnershipwithcommunities.● Avenueforplanningandmakingprogresstowardthesystemchangesneededtoadvancetheregion’sgrowingcommunityschoolsandracialequitymovement.
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