New AFT President Supports Community Schools!

July 24, 2008

In mid-July, Randi Weingarten was elected president of the American Federation of Teachers, the national teachers union. She had been the leader of the New York City’s teachers union.

Minutes later, she addressed the delegates with a speech that envisioned federal support for community schools!

Her new vision of public schools was covered by The New York Times, which said that Weingarten’s vision is “what [she] would like to see in a new federal education law.”

This striking support of the model of community schools that Children’s Aid implements in 22 New York City public schools can be found here.

Children’s Aid partners with the Department of Education in 22 public schools in East Harlem, Washington Heights and the Bronx, providing extensive out of school-time programming, as well as medical, dental and mental health services as well as social services and programming for parents. A new evaluation of six of our middle schools indicates that students enrolled in community school after-school activities show higher test scores, more physical activity and greater use of educational resources for school work.

Please also visit http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/communityschools for more information about The Children’s Aid Society’s community schools.

The Children's Aid Society partners with the New York City Department of Education in 22 community schools, including P.S. 5, pictured above