We talk with Tauheedah Jackson, Director of Place-Based Strategy and Community Initiatives at the Coalition for Community Schools and the Institute for Educational Leadership. Community Schools are so much more than extra programs and wrap-around services. These are some of the fruits of the solid foundation that is built on trusted relationships, cross-sector partnerships, the voices of all stakeholders, at all levels. The Coalition for Community Schools is a “grass roots to grass tips” organization. We talk with Tauheedah about this exciting time for Community Schools in the Us, what the Coalition does, and how folks looking to grow and enhance community schools can move forward to ensure sustainability.

RESOURCES:

https://www.communityschools.org/about/who-we-are/
https://iel.org/


QUOTE:

"I love to garden, and gardening serves as a good metaphor for how we should think about creating conditions in our schools that foster equity and promote learning for all children. If I want to grow big, beautiful cantaloupes, I know that the key is getting the conditions just right. They need sunlight, fertile soil and the right balance of water. If the cantaloupes don’t grow, I don’t blame the cantaloupes.

Gardeners – like schools – cannot control everything. Weather and pestilence may undermine my melon harvest. Likewise, schools cannot undo a child’s trauma or provide him or her with a stable home life.

But educators do have the power to create the conditions that will make it more likely for that child to feel supported so that she can learn and thrive. By focusing upon conditions they can control, educators are more likely to make a difference."

- https://holdsworthcenter.org/blog/equity-isnt-just-a-slogan/

BIO:

Tauheedah Jackson is the Director of Place Based Strategy & Community School Initiatives. She partners with local, state, and national leaders to build sustainable community ecosystems through the development of the Community Schools strategy.

Tauheedah brings to IEL over 22 years experience working in youth development, local government, philanthropy, school districts and out-of-school time organizations. As the Director of the Hartford Partnership for Student Success, Tauheedah provided strategic direction for a collaborative partnership that founded and funded the community schools initiative in Hartford, Connecticut. Under her leadership, Hartford Community Schools became locally and nationally recognized as an exemplar for its systems-building work. Before joining IEL’s team in 2019, Tauheedah served as a member of the steering committee and the co-chair for the Coalition for Community Schools’ Leadership Network.

A native of Bridgeport, Connecticut and first-generation college graduate, Tauheedah has a background in government and secondary education. She will complete her master’s degree in Education and Policy and Management, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 2022. She is a sought-after presenter and facilitator and serves as a member of several local and national boards and advisories. She resides in Connecticut with her family, including her 3 sons.