The Coalition Celebrates 8th Annual Coordinators Appreciation Week with Advocates Across the Country

The Coalition is grateful for another successful Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week (CAW), celebrated the third week in September each year since 2017! This past September 15 – 21, school leaders and supporters, students and families, policymakers, and national, state, and local leaders all lifted up the important role of Community School Coordinators and their  connection to the wider Community School strategy, calling for more funding, resources, and recognition, as well as sharing the love for the people who work so hard to serve our school communities.

Across social media, supporters and Fellow Coordinators shared examples of how #CoordinatorsRock. Partners were also great about sharing CAW celebrations with their local media. Check out the coverage that Kent School Services Network got on the Shelley Irwin show!

Below are a few spotlights and wins we wanted to lift up from the 8th Annual CAW:

• • A Coordinator Appreciation Week Resolution was introduced by Representative Judy Chu, recognizing this official celebration of Community School Coordinators’ and noting that they are “essential to building successful Community Schools and creating, strengthening, and maintaining partnerships between Community Schools and the communities served by such schools.”
  • We’re also thrilled to share that we broke our CAW record by receiving 302 sign-ons to our FY25 Full-Service Community Schools letter to Congress, from national, state, and local organizations all advocating for an increase in funding!
  • Many of you shared social media shoutouts, awards, and other important recognitions for Coordinators. It was truly powerful to see the diverse snapshots of hardworking people in this role from across many school community contexts.
    

    A post from Partners for Rural Impact, spotlighting Coordinator Kevin Smith, shown handing out Pre-K Readiness Kits at Viper Elementary.

  • National, state, and local partners in this work shared stories and resources about the impact of Coordinators. For example, our friends at the Learning Policy Institute highlighted how Coordinators help reduce chronic absenteeism in their new report: Reducing Chronic Absenteeism: Lessons from Community Schools.
  • Others showered Coordinators with sweet gifts and celebrations like flowers or food!
  • We also hosted our first Coordinators Network meeting of the new school year, where members were celebrated and shared some meaningful moments from the past and current school year. Check out a few of them below!

    ·    Led our first school-wide field trip in 5+ years

    ·    Disrupted the parent-teacher conference structure to focus more on family engagement activities

    ·    Received $10K grant for our annual health fair

    ·    Helped get 70% of students enrolled in afterschool programs

    ·    Created a new intervention flow chart for chronically absent students that’s being implemented this year

    ·    I wrote my first Community School Implementation Grant and was awarded!!

    ·    Collaborated with Angels Baseball Team to enhance family & school connection

    ·    Our school got off the underperforming list last year

    

    Marthelle Hadley, Community Site Coordinator at Little Rock School District