January 27, 2023
California teachers call on their districts for contractual commitment to community schools
Local teachers unions in the middle of bargaining with their districts want to see community schools included in their contracts.
California has embarked on a massive undertaking to convert several thousand schools in low-income neighborhoods into centers of community life and providers of vital services for families as well as students. In 2021, the Legislature appropriated $3 billion for community schools, which will be funded through grants through 2027-28. In addition, school districts are increasingly working with private nonprofits, businesses and other government agencies to provide students with services. Educators have come to use the catch-all phrase “community partnerships” to describe these new relationships, which can include services from student health care to after-school tutoring to athletic teams.