“José Muñoz, the national director at the Coalition for Community Schools, said community schools are different from their conventional counterparts because they partner with community members to help students succeed.
He said community schools emphasize the importance of listening to student’s unique needs and the barriers that are hampering their learning and then collaborate with the community to help students prosper.
“A community school is simply a way a school operates,” Muñoz said. “It’s just a way to organize the relationships and resources for young people to be better off.
Muñoz said community schools hire community school coordinators to facilitate engagement with students, families, community members and school staff. But since community schools are all about partnering with the community, Muñoz said sometimes those salaries are covered by partner organizations or other city agencies.”