A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Examples from the Field

Faith communities play an important and vibrant role in communities across the United States. One of the roles they play is to inspire their membership to support children and families in obtaining a world-class education. Many faith communities recognize their role and influence, but often need assistance with focus, activities, funding, and know-how. In this chapter are highlighted some examples of the leadership role national religious organizations have provided to their local faith communities, as well as programs that local faith communities have established in support of schools and children's learning.

Alexandria (VA) Tutoring Consortium—This partnership between the Alexandria Faith Community and the Alexandria Public Elementary Schools sets as its goal to tutor young children in reading through one-on-one discussion. A congregation-based coordinator recruits tutors and assists with scheduling; a school-based coordinator acts as the building point-of-contact. Working with the school's volunteer coordinator, the classroom teacher identifies and assists with scheduling children who need tutoring. Tutoring materials are selected by the public schools, which also provide training for the volunteer tutors. The tutor and student meet three times per week for 30 minutes each time. The qualifications for tutors are a love of reading and a love of children.

Chicago Public Schools Interfaith Community Partnership—This multicultural interfaith group of religious leaders, brought together by Superintendent Paul Vallis, forms a network for the purpose of assisting local schools in addressing crisis in and around the schools, student discipline problems, truancy and low attendance rates, school safety concerns, student and staff attitudes, and self-esteem issues. The partnership provides crisis intervention, workshops for parents, curriculum development in the areas of character education and values, a diversity calendar, expansion of local school partnerships, sponsorship of radio and TV interviews with public school staff to promote Chicago Public School initiatives, and coordination for establishing a crisis support fund.

National Council of Churches—Each year, materials related to public education and supporting teachers are made available to member denominations and congregations of the National Council of Churches. This resource has many components. It highlights education initiatives of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, urges local churches to participate in projects such as the America Reads Challenge and America Goes Back to School , and contains a listing of publication resources available to local faith communities.

National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Center for the Child—In 1995, NCJW launched "Parents as School Partners" with four activities: focus groups with parents, teachers, and principals to hear what parent involvement means to them and what they need to make school-parent partnerships work; surveys of school district superintendents regarding parent involvement policies and programs; a critical review of the research on parent involvement; and a compilation of promising school-based programs for enhancing parent involvement. The results are contained in a kit that is being disseminated to school districts, teachers, parents, and advocates of parent involvement in order to apply the findings around the country.

Presbyterian Church (USA)—The Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery, Task Force on the Church and Education, of the Presbyterian Church (USA), published Presbyterian Churches Supporting Public Education: A Workbook for Improving Quality and Equality in our Public Schools. Additionally, the Presbyterian Church designated 1998 as the "Year with Education," when activities at presbyteries across the country focused on support for public education.

Seventh Day Adventists—The General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists pledged 3,000 reading tutors in response to the America Reads Challenge. The reading tutors are being recruited through work with youth organizations on the high school and university levels. This is part of the Conference's overall plan to meet its commitment given at the Presidents' Summit.

Shiloh Baptist Church (Washington, DC)—Shiloh/Seaton Elementary School Partnership creates mutual support activities for the children served by the school and church. The partnership has established a reading tutorial program for children attending Seaton, staffed by volunteers from Shiloh.

Women's League for Conservative Judaism—The Women's League has local chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each local chapter was encouraged to begin a READ*WRITE*NOW! Summer Reading Program with materials from the U.S. Department of Education to serve its community and to affiliate with the National Jewish Coalition for Literacy. Because some chapters experienced initial success with the program, more chapters have adopted it and others plan to continue it each summer.

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[Introduction]

[Faith Communities' Support for Children's Learning]