Community Schools Forward: Enabling Conditions & Key Practices

The Community Schools Essentials Model provides a unified way for all of us to examine our efforts together. Community School Coordinators, building principals, partners, school staff, families, and youth are invited to examine the Enabling Conditions and Key Practices for Community Schools. Plan to sit at a table with like-minded champions for a day balanced with inspiration, information, discussion, and planning.

Organized by Central NY Community Schools and FLX Community Schools

Agenda:

9 AM - Welcome: Dr. Ryan Heath, SU

9:15 AM - Key Note: Dr. JoAnne Ferrara

10:30 AM - Break

10:45 AM - Morning Microbursts of Practice: 15-minute “Ted Talk” style success stories & strategies

12 PM - Networking Lunch

1 PM - National Experts Panel on Enabling Conditions

1:45 PM - Facilitated Discussions: Next Steps

3 PM - Closing Remarks: Dr. Vic Young

3:30 PM - Networking at the Sheraton

About the Keynote Presenter:

Dr. Ferrara is a Professor Emeritus at Manhattanville University. During her tenure at the university, she served as an associate dean of undergraduate programs, professor, and the community school partner to the Thomas A. Elementary School. While at Manhattanville, JoAnne also served as the professional development school (PDS) coordinator overseeing a network of school/university partnerships with local school districts.

Prior to joining the Manhattanville faculty Dr. Ferrara held positions as a general and special education teacher, a literacy coach, and a school administrator for the New York City Department of Education. Dr. Ferrara briefly served as the Chief Program Officer for the New York State Technical Assistance Center for Community Schools in 2022-2023 school year.

Dr. Ferrara is an experienced educator specializing in community schools, university partnerships, and trauma-responsive schools.   For the last two decades, Dr. Ferrara has worked to build stakeholders’ capacity for community schools and partnerships. She is the editor of Community School Book Series: Voices from the Field series and co-editor of Professional Development School (PDS) Research Book Series. Dr. Ferrara has 10 books to her credit and has authored numerous articles, blogs and has contributed chapters to several books on professional development schools, community schools, and community/school partnerships. She presents nationally and internationally on these topics.  Her work has appeared in Educational Leadership, The Journal of Research in Character Education, School-University Partnerships, The Journal of Leadership in Teaching and Learning, and Teacher Education and Practice.

She is the recipient of the American Educational Research Association’s Claudia A. Balach PDS SIG Research Award and the Jason Kinsey-Friend of the National Association of Professional Development School’s Award.