Edges of Dreams for Marginalized, Urban, Latino Students: Building a Community School

Abstract

This study examines the way an urban Hispanic school in New Mexico, ranked 50^th academically in the United States, grapples with the issues of poverty, disconnection, race, conflicting visions, and hope. Investigating the school’s transition to a community school, a movement that is sweeping high-poverty areas, provides a more encompassing way to look at school reform.  In its one-year existence as a community school in Las Cruces, Lynn Middle School has engaged a vast number of stakeholders along with the School Board and City Council who have begun to work on turning this ‘ghetto’ school into a vibrant community school.  The paper answers the research question, ‘What are the process, procedures and challenges in starting a community school?’ and rather than simply continue to test students, thus providing data that reflect their failure, community schools collaboratively ameliorate the non-academic barriers to student success.  What then might be the anticipated benefits for students, families and neighborhoods?

Keywords: poverty, community schools, Hispanics, urban schools, relationships