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  • A Boston Public Schools Strategy

    Where every student has access to an equitable and excellent well-rounded education and is prepared to thrive!

     

What can happen in my Community School?

  • In a Boston Community Hub School, the school community intentionally looks at its assets (the great things that are happening) and opportunities (the things we want to improve) to take action to make their school-community the best it can be.

    • Families & the community are empowered to be partners in decision making
    • Our schools are welcoming places filled with joy, love, and community
    • Students learn curriculum that honors and reflects their cultures and backgrounds
    • All adults and leadership acknowledge racism and are anti-racist
    • Programs at the school are integrated and aligned with the school community's wants and needs
    • We grow together with Restorative & Healing practices
    • Learning reflects students assets and draws on their strengths
    • There is a Community Hub School staff member to support our school community to transfer power to the people
    • Our assets and opportunities are assessed annually

  • “Liberating education is the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world."

    ― Paulo Freire

     

     

6 Practices of a Community School

  • POWERFUL STUDENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

    Families and students actively participate in the school community and are key partners in decision-making, shaping the school’s environment, priorities, and partnerships.

    COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP, SHARED POWER & VOICE

    Families, students, teachers, principals, and community partners co-create a culture of professional learning, collective trust, and shared responsibility as they make decisions together.

    EXPANDED AND ENRICHED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

    Before and after-school, weekend, and summer programs provide expanded time, expanded staffing, and expanded opportunities for learning and engagement.

    RIGOROUS, COMMUNITY-CONNECTED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

    Teaching and learning in the school infuse high-level content and skills with real-world learning opportunities.

    CULTURE OF BELONGING, SAFETY, AND CARE

    The school climate is welcoming and fosters trust among students, families, partners, and staff.

    INTEGRATED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT

    To promote healthy learning and development, a dedicated team composed primarily of school staff and community partners intentionally and systematically coordinates services, supports, and opportunities that foster individual and collective well-being, using an assets-based approach to nurture the strengths and address the needs of students and families.

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Did you know that Community Schools are a national equity strategy?

  • In Boston, we are centering our implementation around the Community Schools Forward framework developed by the Brookings Institute, National Center for Community Schools, Coalition for Community Schools,s and IEL. This model builds on the four pillars of community schools and adds a direct connection to academic learning and SEL, two priority areas for BPS

Current Boston Community Hub Schools

  • “No type of pedagogy, however effective, can single-handledly remove the barriers of racism, discrimination, homophobia, segregation, islamophobia, homelessness, access to college, and concentrated poverty, but antiracist pedagogy combined with grassroots organizing can prepare students and their families to demand the impossible in the fight for eradicating these persistent and structural barriers.”  

    ― Dr. Bettina Love, We Want to Do More Than Survive (2019)