Schools and trust: What works for communities of color
As COVID-19 swept through San Diego’s City Heights community, a diverse neighborhood with a robust population of immigrants from Latin America, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Somalia, Hoover High School evolved from being a learning hub for teenagers to being a communal educational hub for COVID-19 information, safety practices, testing, and vaccinations.
Principal Jason Babineau says the trust the school has built with the surrounding community, over multiple years, produced such a sense of safety that 60% of its students have returned for in-person instruction since the school reopened in April.
“The element of trust within an entire community is paramount always because we’re taking care of community members’ and parents’ children,” he says. “But in times of public health crisis, there’s nothing more important than trust and solid partnership, and that is developed over time.”
As Hoover High and other public schools in California return to classroom instruction, building community and trust is critical since 60% percent
Acknowledging “ghosts” of the pastMore than just academics A focus on what’s being taughtAlso on the wish list: teacher diversity
