1. Community organizing
An Activist Approach to Community-based Education

2. Reason for Community
Organizing
Not a problem of technical know-how, but of power

3. Bryk, A. S. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for
improvement. New York: Russell Sage.
Gold, E., Simon, E. & Brown, C. (2002). Strong neighborhoods and strong
schools: The indicators project on education organizing. Chicago: Cross
City Campaign for Urban School Reform.
Henderson, A. & Berla, N. (1994). A new generation of evidence: The family
is critical to student achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Law and
Education.
Henderson, A. & Mapp, K. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of
school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin,
TX: National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools,
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Whalen, S. P. (2002, April). Report of the evaluation of the Polk Bros.
Foundation’s full service schools initiative: Executive Summary. Chapin Hall
Center for Children at the University of Chicago

4. Reason for Community
Organizing
When educators and community organizers collaborate to
organize for better education, schools typically improve and
student achievement increases. Reasons:
Community pressure for more resources and district
accountability
Increased parental engagement
Improved staff development and teaching
Student mobility decreased by up to 50%
Increase in mutual respect and trust between the parties

5. What is Community
Organizing?
Power: the ability to act

6. What is Community
Organizing?
Source of power: the capacity to mobilize large
numbers of community members to challenge political
priorities that keep things the way they are.

7. What is Community
Organizing?
Crucial element - the power analysis: the assessment
of who has the institutional authority to make decisions
concerning organizing demands, and which allies
might be mobilized in support of the group’s
campaign.

8. Outcomes of Community
Organizing in Education
Increased responsiveness of school division leaders to
concerns of low-income and racialized parents and
community members

9. Outcomes of Community
Organizing in Education
Substantial new resources and more equitable
distribution of existing resources

10. Outcomes of Community
Organizing in Education
New policy to improve curriculum, school organization,
teacher recruitment and preparation, and parent
engagement

11. Outcomes of Community
Organizing in Education
Improvement in school’s climate and instructional core

12. How Do Groups Organize?

13. Saul Alinsky
(1909 - 1972)
“organization of
organizations”
self-interested campaign
development
confrontational direct
action tactics
the “professional
organizer”
“populist pragmatism”

14. Fred Ross
(1910 -1992)
door-to-door model of
canvassing
“house meetings”
statewide organization to
advance local demands
Cesar Chavez & Fred
Ross

15. Second-wave feminism
(1960s - 1970s)
consensus-based, non-
hierarchical decision-
making
Kate Millet, 1970

16. Civil Rights Movement
U.S., 1960s

17. Civil Rights Movement
U. S., 1960s

18. Black Power Movement
U.S., 1960s & 1970s

19. Civil Rights Movement
Critical events, e.g. school closing,
are opportunities to organize

20. Civil Rights Movement
Existing organizations and institutions
(e.g. churches) can contribute by
changing their function, purpose, and
manner of operation

21. Civil Rights and Black
Power Movements
Power of student and youth
organizing

22. Civil Rights and Black
Power Movements
Power of going beyond “interest group” politics

23. Civil Rights and Black
Power Movements
Importance of institutional and
systemic racism as an organizing
issue

24. Civil Rights Movements
Cultural practices, e.g. music, can be
useful (“We Shall Overcome”)
“My Country ‘tis Of Thy
People You’re Dying”
“No No Keshagesh”
“Rise Up!”
“Boil Water Advisory”
“Starlight Tour”

25. Civil Rights and Black
Power Movements
Outside organizations can be
important allies e.g. SCLC’s work with
the U.S. Communist Party, White
college students

26. Civil Rights Movement
The importance of leadership training
(e.g. Citizenship or Freedom Schools

27. Civil Rights Movement
Political consciousness
Activism
Activism
Political consciousness

28. Civil Rights Movement
Individuals already belonging to social
groups are more ready to become
active (i.e. source of recruitment)

29. Civil Rights Movements
Turning threats
on their head,
e.g. Bull Connor

30. Civil Rights Movements
Turning threats
on their head,
e.g. Joe Arpaio

31. Cross-generational
Alliances
Many activists in social movements
come from families with traditions of
overt defiance or activism

32. Create Innovative Action Repertoires
Barricades, French Revolution - originally erected for neighbourhood
security

33. Create Innovative Action Repertoires
Sit-down strikes during the Civil Rights movement began during 1930s

34. Create Innovative Action
Repertoires
Sit-down strike in a school building or division offices?
“Sick-outs”?
Picketing, at division office? At superintendents
homes?
Chaining ourselves to a fence?
Hunger strike?
Freedom Ride with strategic informational stops?

35. Framing
How organizations, the media, and leaders frame
social issues determines what is viewed as
important in a particular context and what actions
should be taken
To the extent that organizing groups are
successful in shaping public perception of an
issue, they will be more likely to build political will
amongst leaders to take action

36. Two Kinds of Organizing
Organizations
Institutional membership organizations
Direct membership organizations

37. Institutional Membership
Organization
Example: The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF)
IAF is descended by organization of same name est. by Alinsky
Does not organize around issues until it has organized a
neighborhood
Iron rule: “Don’t do for others what they can do for themselves.”
Organized on large geographic scale w/o losing local autonomy
Affiliates in Texas, Albuquerque, Tucson, Phoenix, NYC

38. Direct Membership
Organizing
Drew on work of Fred Ross, Students for a
Democratic Society, and National Welfare Rights
Organization
Mobilization begins with self-interest, but success
develops a sense of group power and broader scope
Example: Association of Communities Organized for
Reform Now (ACORN)

39. Saskatchewan Community
Schools
The Action Committee on Housing was formed at Riverside Community
School . . .The Committee is focusing on issues of affordable housing in
the inner city, ‘Midtown’ of Prince Albert. These issues include the
construction of high density/low income housing, safety and re-
vitalization of the Midtown area as a place where families and all
citizens can live and thrive. . . . Committee members have presented
their concerns/views/ideas to the Mayor, City of P.A. Social
Development Officer, Riverbank Development Corporation and have
recently presented at the Community Knowledge Exchange on
Housing/Homelessness hosted by the Community Networking Coalition.

40. What’s To Be Done?