June 9 Was the Spark—Here’s the Path Forward

Our “Community Schools: A People’s Perspective” ​

forum on June 9 proved that District 2 already holds the talent, vision, and willpower to transform every campus into a community-powered hub. Parents mapped neighborhood assets in real time, students spotlighted barriers only they can see, and local partners pledged resources from mental-health counseling to workforce coaching and all before the evening ended.

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This blog post picks up exactly where that momentum left off. It distills the forum’s biggest takeaway.  Solutions must be designed with the community, not for it.  It lays out the next steps: forming Community School Councils, launching an asset-mapping sprint, and recruiting site coordinators rooted in our neighborhoods. Think of June 9 as the ignition and these pages as the blueprint for keeping the fire burning until every child in District 2 feels the difference.  ​

Community Schools: Turning Our Schools into Hubs of Opportunity
I’ve walked the hallways of District 2 schools as a mother, a community organizer, and with your help, a representative on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. In every role I’ve seen the same truth: when a child’s family is struggling, when health care is out of reach, when housing is unstable, classroom success is an uphill battle. The Community Schools model tackles those barriers head-on by wrapping academic rigor with the resources families actually need. The CSM is a proven strategy for liberation and belonging.

What exactly is a Community School? A Community School is both a high-quality public school and a neighborhood hub. It keeps the doors open before and after the bell for tutoring, health clinics, mental-health counseling, meals, adult education, and culturally rich activities. Teachers still teach but a site coordinator braids together nonprofit partners, local government, and parents so educators can stay laser-focused on instruction.

Why it works

• Better attendance & engagement. Schools in California cut chronic absenteeism by double-digits after shifting to the Community Schools approach.learningpolicyinstitute.org
• Stronger academics. A 2024 national review found that well-implemented Community Schools boost reading and math scores, graduation rates, and college readiness.inthepublicinterest.org

Healthier school climate. Maryland researchers documented significant gains in safety, peer relationships, and overall well-being once wrap-around supports were in place.towson.edu

The evidence is so compelling that North Carolina launched a statewide Community Schools Coalition last year, backed by U.S. Department of Education funds.nccscoalition.org Evaluators at Duke University are already tracking positive early results.childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu
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How this model answers CMS’s biggest challenges

• Chronic absenteeism: When on-site health clinics treat asthma or provide counseling, students miss fewer days.
• Teacher burnout: Coordinators handle non-instructional logistics, freeing educators to do what they love: TEACH.
• Family trust: Schools earn credibility when parents see real help with housing, food, and workforce training.
• Safety & belonging: Evening programs keep campuses vibrant and supervised, reducing community violence.

My plan for District 2
Secure sustainable funding by recruiting philanthropic partners and leveraging the new federal Full-Service Community Schools grants.

Place a trained coordinator in each pilot school and no one-size-fits-all fixes, but a shared standard of excellence.

Momentum is already growing
Earlier this month our Community Schools: A People’s Perspective forum drew educators, students, and advocates to map out next steps. If you missed it, visit our Google Site to read the exploration report and view the growing resource library. We’ll keep adding updates, events, and volunteer opportunities there

Join the movement
Together we can transform every District 2 campus into a beacon of opportunity that our children deserve. Share your story, sign up to volunteer, or simply spread the word that community-powered schools work.

Build an implementation team of students, parents, educators, faith leaders, and neighborhood organizations.

Measure what matters, publicly. Attendance, achievement, and family-satisfaction dashboards will be published on our Community Schools site so you can hold me accountable.

To Learn More About Community Schools Model