Schools as Community Hubs

October is Parent Visitation Month in Alabama. Parents are encouraged to visit the schools and schools are encouraged to let parents visit. That’s great, but wouldn’t it be nice if every month were Parent Visitation Month.

One of the visions that Education Secretary Arnie Duncan has laid out is the concept of schools acting as community hubs by becoming full service community schools. These schools would be open in the evenings and on weekends and welcome families and community members. The schools would have community computer labs where adult education classes could be taught. They would have social workers and provide access to a full range of social services.

Some communities have already started creating full service community schools and the results they are finding are very positive. For youth, the benefits include improved grades and behavior as well as better attendance. Youth tend to have an increased sense of attachment and responsibility to the community. They have improved personal or family situations with less abuse or neglect and an increase sense of school connectedness with increased access to physical and mental health services.

The school benefits from serving the community as well. The teachers are able to spend more time on class preparation and with students. There is improved teacher attendance and communication between families, schools, and teachers. Schools also receive greater resources due to more community partnerships.

The community benefits from an increased use of school facilities. There is an increase in community pride and citizens and students engage in more school and community service. Communities also see improved adult literacy, improved security and safety surrounding the school and improved outcomes for the basic needs of its citizens.

The benefit to families when schools are full service is also important. Families have an increased confidence in their role as their child’s teacher. They have a stronger sense of responsibility for their children’s education. Finally, when the school is more accessible and provides a full range of services, families have a greater attendance at all school and community functions.

Schools cannot do it alone, but they can become centers for collaboration with an other agencies committed to providing every student with the conditions that support learning. Open year-round and with extended hours, full-service community schools work with community agencies to provide on-site social, physical, mental, vision, and dental health care; after-school activities; service-learning projects; and adult education.