WHAT'S HAPPENING?DC Mayor Bowser's recently released budget completely eliminates a program at the State Superintendents Office that funded and supported 17 DC schools to implement a Community Schools Model where services from health care and dental care to food pantries to restorative justice and mental health supports are brought directly into the school to support students. This program needs to expanded widely, not shut down.
MYTH: There is no evidence that OSSE's Community Schools Model is effective. REALITY: Every day thousands of students in 17 DC schools were receiving vital assistance and support through programs at their school supported by the Community Schools grant program- everything from food to health care to support for teen mothers to positive after-school programming for students. MYTH: The DCPS "Connected Schools" program will pickup the slack. REALITY: The DCPS Connected Schools program is highly effective at delivering this model to 24 DCPS schools, but only services DCPS. The Community Schools program served an additional 17 schools in both DCPS and the charter sector. The Connected Schools program cannot and is not planning to expand to service 17 more schools to make up for these cuts. These cuts will deeply hurt school communities, students and families. |
WHAT CAN YOU DO?WHAT ARE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS?See the 17 schools and their partners currently served by the OSSE Community Schools Program |
