Education Commons^™

Community Engagement As A Central Activity In New Charter Schools, Brian Beabout, Joseph Boselovic

Brian R. Beabout

While there is a growing body of literature on community engagement and community organizing as tools for school reform, the primary focus is on improving quality or equity in existing, and predominantly low-income schools. This chapter highlights the creation of two new, intentionally diverse charter schools that were built on a community organizing paradigm during the rapid charter expansion in post-Katrina New Orleans. The stories of the creation of the Morris Jeff Community School and the Homer A. Plessy Community School highlight the significant opportunities and challenges that present themselves in regions where market-based reforms have become popular. These include …