Schools and community organizations: The challenges of integrating education and wraparound services for children

Abstract

The author embarks on a complex study of the politics of education. As a former superintendent in the public school system, he was able to conduct an important study of the benefits and liabilities of community involvement in education, especially for families in need. His work incorporates the sociology of education, political studies, public policy studies, linguistic analysis, and economics in an interdisciplinary study of the politics of education. Through a mixed methods approach his research analyses government rhetoric about wraparound services using critical discourse analysis, a survey, and focus groups of civil society organization (CSO) leaders to understand their perspectives about wraparound services and inter-organizational collaboration. Finally, through a semi-structured interview approach, he interviewed households to gain an in-depth understanding of families as recipients of support from civil society organizations. His chapter discusses important policy recommendations for education and community sustainability within the context of education delivery, education administration, and grassroots and formal politics.