Community Organizing for School Improvement
In order to achieve social change, it is imperative to understand the role that community organizing plays in achieving the specific targets set for themselves, particularly in the realm of public education. This paper follows the activities of two organizations in the South Bronx, New Settlement Apartments (NSA) and Parent Action Committee (PAC), that were fully focused on attaining a single specific goal of improving the quality of education and services offered within the local schools. This paper will also evaluate the challenges, successes, and implications of the actions that the parents took in order to try and bridge the gap between them and other public schools from better-off communities.
Community organizing, as we know it in the Americas, was introduced back in the 1830s. Alexis de Tocqueville’s assessment regarding the Americans’ association with various civic organizations was perceived as the beginning of a new political area with democracy at its core. The blueprint for modern community organizations can be traced back to 1930 when Saul Alinsky documented the basics as he perceived them. Community organizing, particularly in the realm of education, has seen a magnificent change and growth over time as it has evolved from the settlement house movement and gradually gained momentum in the 1960s, which has continued up to date. Many community organization professionals have based their logical argument on the fact that the level of political power a community has is equivalent to the quality of life they have access to. In order to empower and encourage low-income communities to challenge the existing resources and service allocation, it is imperative that the various community organizations come together and identify the problem and an appropriate strategy to help them achieve the goal they have set for themselves.
The Parents Action Committee can credit its genesis to an incident that affected a local institution in the South Bronx named PS 64. Parents and other stakeholders in the institution engaged and investigated the reason for poor performance from the school and found a deep-rooted problem in the leadership of the institution, which started from the principal’s office. It was ascertained that the leadership environment in the institution was toxic, if not completely rotten, which forced the parents and other stakeholders to jump into action on how to change from that state. Parents were able, alongside other stakeholders, to voice their grievances, including the principal’s incapability, insufficient school programs, and the safety of students in the institution. These concerns raised by parents were able to achieve the first step, which was replacing the principle in favor of someone who had the same goal as the parents, which was to improve the quality of education offered in the institution.
Although some individuals and external stakeholders doubted how the Parents Action Committee approached the issue, there was a certain level of skepticism and uncertainty about their method and its efficiency in achieving the goals set before them. PAC was able to use several old-school methods to gather support from the community and the media; the techniques used include door-to-door conversations and petition drives. After having discussions and conversations regarding the best possible route to achieve the aims and goals the PAC had set forth, the community-based organization was able to spearhead change by advocating the removal of the principal to the responsible parties, which were the superintendent and chancellor.
It is very important to note that the PAC’s persistence was able to bear fruits as the principal resigned, regardless of having been demoted in the first place. Although this was a significant win for the PAC, it exposed some of the ill and rotten policies and practices that were embedded in the school’s bureaucratic processes and systems. Though not preconceived or analyzed, these challenges seemed to have come out of nowhere and required quick action if the parents were to achieve the goal they had set forth for themselves. One of the main challenges they faced was the appointment of the new principal, a process they thought they would be able to influence, but unfortunately, the C-30 process they could not be involved in, complicating the institutional structures even more.
There were more challenges that came on PAC’s radar, including the safety of students, teachers, and other stakeholders in the school and the appointment of the new principal. There were incredibly high amounts of discrepancies and tension from various stakeholders of the organization regarding their engagement in the C-30 process, as well as a number of the bureaucratic procedures that the institution expected. Stakeholders, as well as other external parties that watched as these incidents unfolded, were able to notice that the principal selected did not align with the values that PAC was spearheading, raising the question of whether the strategies PAC used were effective.
Despite all PAC’s challenges, they remained committed to empowering the institution and doing everything possible to ensure it was at par with its purpose. Despite its shortcomings in various endeavors, PAC continued to expand its reach and form alliances with other community-based organizations to gather more information, share experiences, and develop better strategies for future and current circumstances. Through their collaboration with other institutions, PAC was able to create a district-wide platform that was dedicated to school improvement. The platform was able to deal with issues like school evaluations and the professional development of teachers and other involved stakeholders in the member institutions.
The journey, as depicted by PAC, showcases that community organizations, particularly those related to the education sector, need a long-term approach to their operations. This lesson was attained by the realization that the most significant institutional change, as many perceived it, took a long time before its completion. Members also learned that an institution requires strong leadership, which involves leveraging the existing relationships with parents and community members to ascertain the goal and the best course of action to attain the same.
One crucial thing that community-based organizations should take from this incredibly documented scenario is the importance of training and data collection that can be used to show the legitimacy of the parents’ concerns and can also be used to mobilize a specific course of action. Collaborating with partners and individuals with technical know-how is crucial as it helps to navigate the complex educational structures, policies, and systematic barriers.
Through PAC’s journey, this story highlights many dilemmas that several community-based organizations are bound to face in their quest to achieve change. One of the critical dilemmas includes navigating institutional systems and being able to build constructive relationships with the involved stakeholders to foster and achieve the preconceived goal. Another noticeable dilemma would be moving beyond local efforts to a more significant movement; this would require incredible advocacy and strategic collaborative measures to ensure all parties are onboard and the goal is achievable regardless of the policies already in place.
Generally, the journey of PAC, as documented by this article, showcases the transformative ability that can be achieved by community organizations, particularly in the education sector. Regardless of the many obstacles and the time that was taken to make the changes they deserved, their commitment to improving the condition of their institution made way for more meaningful change in their schools. Based on the lessons learned from the PAC’s experience, other community-based organizations can have a glimpse into the requirements and possibilities that their actions can achieve while also learning from the achievements as they were able to improve the quality of education in their local school.
References
Zachary, E., & Olatoye, S. (2001). A Case Study: Community Organizing for School Improvement in the South Bronx. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED462493
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