Practice 8: Community Connections

Outside the classroom, democratic schools are connected to their parents and community through various ways. The broader community impacts who and what the children and school are and can be. On one level, schools should involve families and communities in the work of the school, developing means for parent input and guidance and educating students in civic participation. On a second level, it should involve itself in the work of the family and community, seeking connections and healthy environments for children within the community.

In addition, democratic schools and teachers should attempt to create more family-like schools (Epstein, 1995), viewing families and communities as partners in the educational process and having common and shared interests and goals in educating their children. The obligation of schools goes beyond just school-home communication, but extends to developing connections through which families and communities can collaborate throughout the educational process.

A partner school shares an example of how they are working with students and parents:  "We have recently rewritten our Mission Statement. Our students have written a new pledge that is displayed through Power Point and recited by students. Our Student Council is meeting with me to discuss school concerns. The PTA is focused on parental growth and is seeking to understand and share our vision."