Schools could benefit immensely from tapping into not only knowledge resources of other schools, but also those of the community. Through the dedication of committed school administrators or parents, some exceptional public schools have succeeded in identifying and using the full extent of community resources available. Organizations such as DonorsChoose and Adopt-a-Classroom have also established effective ways for classrooms to access communities, but for financial resources.
One article on education philanthropy calculated, that 30 million parents volunteer time at schools that is the equivalent of 3.4 million 40-hour work weeks annually. Imagine how many non-parent community members are willing to donate time and expertise to help schools. It is a huge untapped resource. For example, a local accountant could help a school with its finances, a neighborhood painter could help repaint the school facilities, or retired seniors could help tutor students. Rather than procuring more funding, effectively linking into the community's knowledge and expertise could do more to help schools alleviate budget crunches, build a supportive school community, and ultimately improve student performance.
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