Restarting and Reinventing Schools in the Time of COVID-19

Learning Policy Institute / August 25, 2020

“A new, comprehensive framework by the Learning Policy Institute outlines how policymakers and education leaders can address the pressing question of how to reopen schools safely, effectively, and equitably to serve the needs of the whole child. The framework, Restarting and Reinventing School: Learning in the Time of COVID and Beyond, offers thoughtful, research-based recommendations that focus on how policymakers as well as educators can support equitable, effective teaching and learning whether in-person or online. It also curates and organizes a wealth of other resources that can help achieve these goals.”

Community schools are a recommended strategy for reinventing schools and Cincinnati is cited as a strong exemplar of the model.

“Cincinnati has an especially strong policy infrastructure, with a 2009 Community Learning Center (CLC) policy accompanied by a board-approved set of guiding principles, partnership parameters, and community involvement policy. The master facilities plan aims to redesign all Cincinnati public schools as CLCs through a community engagement process in which community members and school stakeholders identify their needs and assets and develop a strategy for rebuilding the school as a CLC. Each of these schools will have a resource coordinator funded by both Title I and local philanthropic organizations. This CLC financing philosophy is unique, as CLCs are not wholly dependent upon school budgets.

The report also recommends that districts seek technical assistance to help develop and coordinate community schools. Governments, state agencies and universities are offered as suggestions and the Community Learning Center Institute in Cincinnati is highlighted as an example of a nonprofit that provides this kind of technical assistance.

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