Creating Engagement between Schools and their Communities

Often rural schools and communities are overlooked when considering the current circumstances and future prospects for students and families in our most remote places. The authors and contributors have done an outstanding job in focusing on this population and why leadership is so critical to the success and vitality of rural people and places. -- Robert Mahaffey, Rural School and Community Trust
[The book] makes a persuasive case for establishing community schools in every type of setting — urban, exurban, suburban and rural. . . . A community school is a hub for integrated services and support that cultivates opportunity and agency in students, families and neighborhoods. No specific, one-size-fits-all model is prescribed to a community school; collaborative people and partnerships define it. Most importantly, stakeholders in a community school are accountable to one another as they create and sustain a culture of equity and empowerment. . . . Community schools inspire hope for the future of public education. The complexity of helping all students overcome societal challenges and preparing them to thrive in globally connected economies and communities requires a much broader and bolder approach than most education “reforms.” Creating Engagement between Schools and their Communities spotlights the ways in which community schools can achieve that moral imperative. * School Administrator *