A RESOLUTION ON COMMUNITY OF SCHOOLS
WHEREAS, a community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources;
WHEREAS, its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities;
WHEREAS, community schools offer a personalized curriculum that emphasizes real-world learning and community problem-solving; and
WHEREAS, community schools focus on short and long term goals, including ensuring consistent school attendance, increased family participation in education, and safe and healthy children.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the National Black Caucus Of State Legislators (NBCSL) encourages local education authority and schools to form community consortiums with a variety of community partners to establish communities of schools with an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement that will lead to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, community of schools formed pursuant to this bill to strive to become centers of their communities providing programs and services for persons of all ages;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, schools should be open to everyone throughout each day, including in the evenings, on weekends, and in the summer. if a community of schools is not able to locate services for all ages in one of the public schools of the neighborhood, the community of schools is encouraged to locate activities, particularly those that occur outside of regular school hours in a central facility, if one is available, that provides easy access to all of the partnering schools, their students, and parents;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, community of schools will have all the rights, privileges, and obligations accorded to a community school under present law, and authorizes school departments to seek funds for creation of communities of schools as it does for community schools; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Vice president of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.
- SPONSOR: Representative Barbara Cooper (TN)
- Committee of Jurisdiction: Education Policy Committee
- Certified by Committee Co-Chair: Senator Tanya Cook (NE)
- Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 3, 2016
- Ratification is certified by: Senator Catherine Pugh (MD), President