For Dr. Steve Webb, the role of public schools is personal. “I know something first hand about generational poverty,” he tells us. “Poverty is not a learning disability,” he says, “but it presents real barriers to student success in too many classrooms in our country.”

Recently retired as superintendent of Washington’s Vancouver Public Schools, Webb centered his career on putting student and community needs first. VPS serves about 23,400 students and has experienced rapid growth and diversification over the last decade as a result of nearby Portland’s rising costs of living.

To meet the needs of VPS students—especially those living in poverty—Webb and his team established 20 Family-Community Resource Centers (FCRCs)—facilities that remove barriers and connect families with available community resources to increase student success.

In this episode, Dr. Webb shares his success story with FCRCs, his personal connection to public education, and his thoughts on how other districts can develop similar support networks through the power of collective efficacy.

Dr. Steve Webb (@SuptWebb)

To read more about Dr. Webb's work at VPS here, or you can learn more about community schools by checking out the Coalition for Community Schools.

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202: I Left it All on The Dance Floor