Writers Defend Community Schools

In an op-ed in the Washington Times (12/23), Jeff Smith, executive director of DC Voice, and Martin J. Blank, President of the Institute for Educational Leadership, refute a recent opinion piece the Times published online which argued that "the Community Schools Incentive Act, which would introduce community schools to the District, would be a costly and ineffective way to address the challenges faced by our students and families." The writers refute this argument, noting that "several details in the piece's underlying argument completely ignore all research to the contrary." The writers lament the lack of attention in the media and by policymakers to the role that poverty plays in academic success, and argue that research supports the positive impact that community schools can bring to academic achievement.