Community Schools - Child First Authority, Inc.

Child First Authority
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
BALTIMORE WILL GROW AND PROSPER IF WE DEVELOP EACH CHILD FIRST
Reflections
from our
Executive
Director
2012­2013: What a year! Child First experienced growth, change, challenge and
success; beginning with the unexpected challenge of community schools, to the
battle to increase City funding for after school opportunities, and the hard fought
campaign and victory to fund new and renovated City schools. We tackled each
of these new challenges while continuing our normal course of business—that of
offering the best after school programs for students and organizing parents, and
school, church and community partners to act for change in their schools and
communities.
Looking back we are proud that we accepted the challenge to lead as community
school coordinating partner for seven schools. Our new team of seven coordinators
are building collaborative relationships with principals and teachers, while engaging
existing and recruiting new partners to provide supports for students, families and
community all aimed at improving outcomes for students.
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school year: to be a leader in 21st century school transformation. The
transformative outcomes of our work will be evidenced by
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and after school programs. Child First was the coordinating partner for seven
community schools and their after school programs. In addition, we worked
with two community­based organizations serving as the after school provider
in their community schools.
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organize to help design new and renovated schools. While we were leaders
in the effort to raise over $1 billion for school construction, the work is far from
over. Parents and community fought with us for funding, and they are ready
to see a vision of 21st century facilities and learning come to life.
We are excited for what lies ahead and grateful for the many people who believe
in and support the work of Child First.
1
Sincerely,
Carol Reckling
Executive Director
MISSION
&VISION
Child First Authority’s mission is to
develop youth by strengthening and
reforming schools.
Child First is about 21st century school transformation.
21st century schools work with students, families, educators, and communities to
create:
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achievement
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make change
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success
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We partner with educators to strengthen and reform schools through:
1.
2.
3.
Out of School Time Programs
Organizing
Community Schools
2
OUT OF SCHOOL TIME
PROGRAMS
Quality out of school time
is essential for students’
academic, emotional,
and social development.
STRATEGY
& IMPACT
Child First students develop critical think­
ing skills and hone engineering skills while
engaged in STEMulated Minds, a Child First
created STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and math) curriculum coupled
with Engineering is Elementary STEM projects.
Child First students receive two hours of active recreation or sports and two
hours of skill based cultural classes or lessons every week. Enrichment offerings
include instrumental music, drama, chess, karate, sports, and gardening. Our
programs create a well­rounded educational experience for students, put­
ting children on a path to succeed in school and be prepared for college and
career in the 21st century.
ExpandED INITIATIVE
at Hilton Elementary School
In 2011, Child First was selected to partner with Hilton Elementary School for a
pilot initiative of the After School Corporation called ExpandED. This initiative
aims to increase outcomes for students by extending the length of the school
day. Together with other schools in Baltimore, New York, and New Orleans,
Hilton has spent the last two years building towards going “whole school” in
the 2013­2014 school year, with all students now participating in a school day
that is nearly three hours longer than the standard school day.
Impact of Out of School Time:
9% 1,564 youth served
9% 99.9% average daily attendance
9% In a year of statewide declines on the Maryland State Assessment, a major­
ity of Child First students demonstrated gains in targeted mathematics and
language arts skills
3
ORGANIZING
We know great things can happen for children,
families, and communities if we have the power
to make them happen.
That’s why our team of organizers invests their time in identifying and
developing talented leaders, and building power with those leaders. Our
organizers apply the teaching and training of the Industrial Areas Foundation –
the oldest and largest organizing network in the United States – to build
powerful teams of parent, school staff, and community leaders in our partner
schools, and work with those teams to act on the big and small issues they see
facing their schools, their children, and their communities.
Impact of Organizing
9% 104 leaders developed to act in their communities, at City Hall,
and in Annapolis
9% Core teams worked at six partner schools to address issues in their school
communities
9% Over 700 parent, teacher, community, and student leaders engaged in
actions to address issues in their schools and communities
9% Passage of Maryland House Bill 860, with BUILD and our allies in the
Baltimore Education Coalition, that will leverage up to $1 billion to rebuild
schools in Baltimore
9% Stopped an $800,000 cut to city funding for after school and community
schools, and an additional $300,000 increase in funding, in partnership with
other organizations that support these initiatives
9% Groundbreaking on new supermarket in Howard Park, after years of work by
Child First, BUILD, Calvin Rodwell Elementary and Howard Park community
leaders
4
Community Community Schools are a
strategy to remove barriers to
Schools
student success, by providing
supports that address the needs
of students, their families, and
their communities.
A successful Community School, with the leadership of one of Child First’s on­site
Community School Coordinators, makes the school a hub of the community.
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partnerships and strategies to: increase school attendance and reduce chronic
absenteeism; improve the school climate, by creating a welcoming
environment where families feel known and valued, and reducing school
suspensions and repeat suspensions; and increase family engagement and
community volunteerism in activities that support the school and student
success.
Impact of Community Schools:
9% Leveraged more than 7,580 volunteer hours in our partner schools, the equivalent of
$167,518 worth of in­kind services to our school communities
9% Created several programs and partnerships including an adult ESOL class and a
school­based Head Start program
9% Worked with school support teams to begin to address issues of attendance and
chronic absenteeism
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them prepare for the new school year
9% 93% of parents in Child First community schools reported feeling welcome in their
child’s school, compared to 85% of all parents in the school district
9% Passed out over 640 bags of food to families from the Maryland Food Bank
5
Financials, Funders and Partners
Child First gratefully acknowledges the support and partnership of the following
individuals, foundations, and organizations over the past year:
Partner Schools
Funders
Barclay Elementary/Middle School
The Family League of Baltimore City
Bay Brook Elementary/Middle School
The After School Corporation
Calvin Rodwell Elementary School
Baltimore City Schools
City Springs Elementary/Middle School
Maryland State Department of Education
Dallas Nicholas Elementary School
Maryland Department of Human Resources
Dr. Bernard Harris, Sr. Elementary School
The Zanvl and Isabelle Krieger Fund
Eutaw­Marshburn Elementary School
Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation
Edgewood Elementary School
Robert Woods Johnson Foundation
Furman L. Templeton Elementary School
Verizon
Gilmor Elementary School
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Guilford Elementary/Middle School
Hilton Elementary School
John Eager Howard Elementary School
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Liberty Elementary School
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Robert W. Coleman Elementary School
Westside Elementary School
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Partners & Service Providers
Parents who honored their commitment to
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invest in Child First programs
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Baltimore Education Coalition
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Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras
BUILD
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Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Goucher College
Greater Homewood Community Corporation
Kenion Karate
Junior Achievement
The Maryland Institute College of Art
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Baltimore Talent Education Center
Port Discovery
Nichols Karate
6
Board of Directors
Tabb J. Bishop, Verizon
Bishop Douglas Miles, Koinonia Baptist Church & BUILD
Omari Todd, Teach for America
Scott Vandiver, Informatica
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Cari White, Hertzbach & Company P.A.
Scott Wilson, Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Child First Authority Staff
Carol Reckling, Executive Director
Dashawn Harrell, Coordinator of Operations
Shannen Coleman Siciliano, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Gayl Brooks, Program Manager
Ivy McNeill, ExpandED Director
Kaleisha Biggs, Program Specialist
Jake Berzoff­Cohen, Organizer
Ronald Covington, Organizer
Jimmy Stuart, Organizer
Saundra Adams, Community School Coordinator
Abby Carmean, Community School Coordinator
Simone Garrison, Community School Coordinator
Amanda Klein, Community School Coordinator
Jennifer McDowell, Community School Coordinator
Larry Simmons, Community School Coordinator
Gwendolyn Unoko, Community School Coordinator
Child First Authority, Inc.
3904 Hickory Avenue, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410.367.8520 Fax: 410.225.7760
www.childfirstauthority.org