Sustaining Catholic Education in and for the Black Community
By Lois J. Carson, Sr. Roberta Fulton, S.S.M.N., Dorothy Gupton, Veronica Morgan-Lee, Freida D. McCray, Mary Crowley McDonald, Kathleen A. Merritt, Sr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., Ph.D., Brother Gary Sawyer, ECSA, Deacon Marvin Threatt, PhD.
(Article:
Page 24 of 35)
Add To Favorites |
Print Version
 |
|
Full Resources
Article Index
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Chapter 4
Collaboration among Parents, Teachers, Community, and Church
Catholic schools have a long, rich tradition of working with communities
to support the welfare of students and families. Parents, school personnel, and community members have
nurtured their relationships and worked tirelessly to make sure that children were successful.
Mary McDonald, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Memphis,
oversaw the establishment of the inner city Jubilee Schools, featured in Chapter One. Reflecting on that
experience, she states, “What started out as an initiative in Catholic education quickly extended
far beyond the walls of the schools. As our outreach expanded, so did our accountability. We were investing
in the future of the city and the greater Memphis community” (Momentum, 2004). The Jubilee Schools
demonstrate Bishop Terry Steib's commitment to overcome the divide of poverty with hope and
education for both children and their communities.
Social capital is a key contributor to student success. Therefore, schools should strive to foster collaboration among stakeholders, to strengthen community outreach, and to increase parents' involvement in their children's education (Coleman, 1987). Students whose parents are involved with their education tend to have fewer behavior problems in school, fewer absences, and higher rates of academic achievement and graduation than those students whose parents do not become involved (Karther and Lowden, 1997).
Parent, school, and community partnerships are elemental to building trusting collaborative relationships among teachers, families, and community members. In the 1996 book,
Rallying the Whole Village: The Comer Process for Reforming Education, author James Comer addresses the roles and responsibilities of families – as well as the educational, neighborhood, and business communities – in promoting the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical well-being of students. In rallying these communities, the focus is on the whole child.
 Effective teaching is a multidimensional enterprise grounded in a holistic educational philosophy. The primary objectives of Comer's work were to close the gap between theory and practice, and to guide educators, parents, and decision makers through the process of developing educationally relevant and sound programs for underserved students.
The focus of this effort is sharing the responsibility of helping all children reach their optimal potential. The overarching perspective is that collaboration promotes healthy learning environments for students, which in turn lead to success in the academic, psychological, social, ethical, and physical realms. Collaboration between community, families, and schools promotes win/win educational opportunities and community growth.
D. Jean Clandinin and her associates (1993) noted that collaboration between school professionals and the surrounding community assists community-building efforts both inside and outside of school. The community as a whole has a strong impact on children's self-perception and attitudes toward education. The community's economic conditions and ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity are also important influences on students' success in schools. The students' family background, health, and economic situation affect their interest in, aptitude toward, and motivation for learning (Hindle, 1993). Since it is essential that educators understand the school community and student bacgrounds, parents are an invaluable resource, because they know their children best (Littky et al., 2004). Activities and events in the community can serve starting points for discussions and classroom activities. Additionally, collaboration with the community encourages good public relations between education professionals and those outside the educational setting, increasing community understanding of and support for the school.
to top of page
Previous page
|
|
Next page
|
|
