Community Schools put Immigrants First
Chicago is housing illegal immigrants in police stations, airport terminals, and airport hangers. A few months ago, the New York Governor was asking residents to house illegals in their homes, and now they are using schools. In fact, several schools in New York are currently shifting kids to online school because they have run out of hotel rooms for housing illegal immigrants and are now using school buildings.
It appears community leaders have actually been planning for this to happen for several months.
What’s interesting is that New York schools have implemented the Community Schools Playbook. We recently discussed the Ottawa Community Schools Network who also follows the Community Schools Playbook, and detailed how this organization strives to transform the way school districts operate. Rather than public schools being a place where children can go to obtain a traditional education based on reading, writing, math, geography, history, and science, community schools are community centers that meet the needs of the whole child and the community. Community schools go above and beyond what most people view as education, incorporating doctors, psychologists, food assistance programs, and additional supports into the school.
In accordance with the community school philosophy, The New York Community School Network is not only attempting to meet all of the needs of children, but also teaching kids to make decisions in the best interests of the collective, putting other's needs in place of their own without question. In the case of New York, it appears illegal immigrants have been prioritized over school children.
On the New York Community School Network website, there is a page instructing community members on how to advocate for community schools.
A linked Brookings Institute article from April 2022 explains how Community Schools can help Superintendents Transform Education. “The superintendents spoke about shared challenges in addressing hunger, housing insecurity, the opioid epidemic, the pandemic, and the ongoing impacts of systemic poverty and racism. They wanted to learn about strategic partnerships that could tap into new and existing resources.”
According to the article, the role of education is being actively redefined within the community school framework.
The Center for Popular Democracy created a Community Schools: Transforming Struggling Schools into Thriving Schools guide that explains there “are the six research-based Community School strategies that allow for greater student-centered learning, community investment and engagement, and school environments squarely focused on teaching and learning.”
Curricula – engaging and culturally relevant
Teaching – focus on quality not testing
Wrap-around supports including health care, eye care, etc.
Positive Discipline - Restorative Justice and Social Emotional Learning
Parent and Community Engagement
Inclusive Leadership
They recommend the community school model be embraced and codified into law and policy.
If you are interested in more information, this video will leave you with an excellent understanding of Community Schools and how they are being implanted in the state of New York.
Implementing community schools is being financially incentivized through grants and other government funding initiatives such as ARPA. The way New York is handling illegal immigration housing issues puts local school building safety assessments in an entirely new light. Schools are no longer centers for children to learn foundational education skills that will help them to be successful as adults. They are spending excessive amounts of time on Social Emotional Learning initiatives that shape them to be global citizens and champions of collectivism and progressive activism. Academic achievement is secondary and test scores are proving this. The modern-day focus of public schools seems to be on everything except for education, and it is becoming apparent that community schools are actually government indoctrination centers for our youngest citizens.