Community Engagement
Upward mobility and opportunity have long been the hallmarks of American society, as generation after generation surpassed their parents’ achievements. But declining high school graduation rates threaten this progress, especially for young Americans of color. First Focus believes that schools and communities must work together with families to meet students’ needs in and outside the classroom, to ensure that students are not just smart but strong citizens as well.
They must meet the holistic needs of children, so that American students are healthy and safe at school, so we can ensure that they are productive after school, and so they have opportunities to grow as students and as individuals. Specific policy priorities for 2007 include:
Convene Public/Private Partnerships to Help Kids Succeed.
First Focus advances bipartisan polices that build community-wide alliances for kids – involving not only government, but business, families, the faith community, service providers, and youth themselves. Strong alliances will be able to address not only graduation and other traditional education priorities, but also health care, public safety, and other critical needs facing our kids.
Expand Coordination of Support Services.
The challenge of educating our students must not fall to schools alone; the whole community must be engaged. During the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)reauthorization, Congress should create incentives for closer school/community collaboration. Such partnerships will more effectively leverage community resources and coordinate support services to meet students’ needs in and outside the classroom – keeping them on the path toward graduation.
