Janice Chu-Zhu, Senior Director, National Capacity Building

1. The Role of the Community School Coordinator Janice Chu-Zhu, Senior Director, National Capacity Building

2. Objectives of This Session • Learn about the stages of development of a community school. • Explore the essential skills used in the CSC role. • Understand the difference between co-location and integration. • Begin assessing alignment issues and opportunities at your schools.

3. CAS Role as a Lead Agency in a CS • CAS Community School Approach and Concepts: • CAS as a central stakeholder in the educational, physical, and social planning for our schools. • A strong working partnership that allows for the functioning as a team with a common goal: to better serve the needs of each student and family. • CAS as the organization that manages/organizes/coordinates the work around enrichment and non academic barriers. • CAS as the organization that consistently promotes the need for an integrated approach independently of who is funding specific programs. • CAS is a major provider of programs and services in our community schools

4. The Role of the Coordinator The heart of the Community School Coordinator’s role is to partner with the principal in supporting the School Improvement Plan.

5. Role of a CS Coordinator • The Community School Coordinator is the Lead Agency’s on-site representative who serves as liaison and partner with the principal. • Co-leads the Community School (with the Principal) – Together, they craft the vision and engage and excite others about the vision, ensure that programming is supporting the vision and outline the general direction of the partnership. • The CSD serves as the lead for the non-instructional program in the school.

6. The Community School Coordinator’s Skill Set (Essential Skills) • Assessing • Responding • Problem-Solving • Organizing • Communicating (includes listening, speaking, writing, reading) • Demonstrating Value • Leading • Managing • Building Trust • Negotiating

7. The Roles and Responsibilities of the CS Director • Organizational representative • Manages programs • Educates on CS • Manages staff • Brokers and tends to relationships • Engages family and community • Oversees or leads communication to public about CS • Develops partnerships • Creates opportunities for involvement • Maintains “swinging door” relationships with community

8. Stages of Development in a Community School • Exploring • Emerging • Maturing • Excelling

9. Key components of a CS

10. Relationship Building

11. Remember the Three Mantras of Community Schools • It’s all about relationships. • Everything has to be negotiated all the time. • For community schools to work, the partners have to keep the word “yes” written in their hearts.

12. Honing Skill Sets: A Developmental Process • It is important to know how to seek out supervision to practice or gain effective negotiation or other skills for such situations • Don’t join crazy! Know when to hold back, step back, observe and when to step-in • Remember: It’s not personal, It’s not about YOU! • Don’t fear confrontation—EMBRACE it. • Look for opportunities to demonstrate value. Look for a situation that you can help resolve. • Focus on specific areas to “operationalize” the concept of lead partner such as after school or health/mental health services.

13. Kent School Services Network Technical Assistance(CAS) • Leadership Team • Shared Vision • Policy Alignment • Resource Development Kent County Admin, School District Leadership, Kent Health Dep’t, DHS, Network 180, Spectrum Health, Major Donors, Kent ISD, DA Blodgett • Systemic Managers • Partner Coordination • Protocol Development • Data Sharing KSSN Project Director, Agency Managers, School District Managers, Site Supervisors, Program & Service Provider Managers • School-Based Teams • Needs Assessments • Implementation • Outcomes Principal, Community School Coordinator, School Staff, Teachers, Providers, DHS Staff, Partners, Parents, Community Members Evaluation(PPA)

14. Moving TowardCoordination& Integration

15. CAS Developmental Triangle core instructional program educational & cultural enrichment services that remove barriers to learning • physical health • dental health • mental health • social services

16. Strategies for Working with Teachers • Teacher orientation at the start of each year • Focus groups with teachers on student needs • Individual meetings with teachers • Mental health consultation with teachers (can include classroom management observations) • Teacher professional development (e.g., ages and stages of child development; home-school connection)

17. More Strategies for Engaging Teachers • Teacher recognition events • Outreach to and relationship-building with union chapter leader in your school • Using common core standards to integrate OST with core instructional program • Being a good partner in sharing space • Hiring teachers in OST programs (ed. coord.) • Attending grade-level and staff meetings

18. Integration Activity

20. Application Activity - Case Study • What else could the Director do to enhance and visibly demonstrate their role of being a Lead Agency Partner in the building? • How could the Director get more support from her organization? Her principal? The school staff? The parents or community? • How could the CBO/Coordinator market what they are doing that represents their vision and is aligned with the Superintendents goal for CBOs in schools?

21. nationalcenterforcommunityschools.org