Baltimore has 45 community schools. These are schools that have a coordinator who gives support to students and families. And, we’re not talking about just after-school programs, but much more: coordinating health and mental health services, food assistance, expanded early-learning programs. Advocates for community schools say these kinds of “wrap-around” services are an investment in students and their families that pays off and we wanted to get a better sense of how they work.
With us in the studio is Dante De Tablan, a community school coordinator at Benjamin Franklin High School in South Baltimore. Also, with us is Julia Baez, Senior Director of Initiatives at the Family League of Baltimore, which leads Baltimore’s community schools initiative in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools and the Mayor’s Office.
The Family League, Benjamin Franklin High School, and two other Baltimore community schools, Historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary and Wolfe Street Academy, will receive national awards of excellence next week from the Coalition for Community Schools.
Audio for this segment will be available by the end of the day.
