Here we are, at the Cooper’s Ferry Annual Meeting, where developers and politicos from all over the state come to hear a Camden narrative that focuses on the beauty of the waterfront and the potential for redevelopment. As I wrote last year, it’s a conversation that feels frustratingly separated from the every day experience of the Camden resident, who is faced with the odd prospect of paying $125 for a ticket to hear the mayor give her State of the City Address (though last year she also gave the address a week later at the City Council Meeting). But this year something a little different is happening. Ray Lamboy wrote an op-ed about Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) in the Courier-Post. Sean Brown wrote about CBAs for Media Mobilizing. Even the school district got in on the action, announcing CBAs with Renaissance schools at a press conference on February 10th. I want to focus in on these school examples, because they show how a good idea can be toothless is misunderstood. But I’m also going to largely duck the big picture critique to focus on two narrow critiques of the CBAs: the lack of community involvement and lack of accountability in the agreements.
Now, I get the high-level critique. I understand (and largely agree) with those who say, if we really care about neighborhood schools this isn’t the model we would choose. And I certainly understand the public schools saying, wait a second, we’ve been doing this for decades and no one has called a press conference for us! There’s certainly another blog post to be written about these inequities, and questions about the wider model.
But I’m going to write about the CBAs themselves. This post is designed to address a frustrating reality — that these schools are here — and to try to figure out how to do these Community Benefits Agreements in ways that better protect community. That’s a particularly important topic if CBAs are going to be used by corporations (and be done better by the school district in the future).
These CBAs lack two fundamental mechanisms that are required in all CBAs. 1) there was little community involvement and 2) they include no “accountability” measures.
First, a quick overview of the typical CBA. Here I’ll take an excerpt from Ray Lamboy’s op-ed:
Community Benefits Agreements are formed through a collaborative and cooperative process among community, businesses, developers and government working together to gain an understanding of the city’s most pressing needs and devise a plan to address them through contributions and investments in transformative efforts. These contributions and investments are memorialized in a public legal document.
Lamboy also includes a list of examples including this one:
In the city of San Diego, the developers of the new Padres baseball stadium and a coalition of residents, small business and nonprofits came together to create a 1st Source Hiring System. This system worked in coordination with the developer, the Padres and other businesses to screen and match residents to jobs being created in the short term via construction, and long term through the ongoing operation of the stadium. This system was hosted by a local nonprofit and funded in part by contributions from all the businesses involved.
A typical CBA involves a negotiation between a corporation coming to the city, a community group, and local politicians. Thus far, in Camden, there has been little interest on behalf of politicians in entering into such negotiations, perhaps out of fear that they would scare off potential investors.
Thus the school district deserves some credit for entering into negotiations, and pushing Renaissance schools to serve many of the functions that are inherent to neighborhood schools. But calling these CBAs a “negotiation” between community, school and district is a bit of an exaggeration. Here is the Mastery CBA document on process (full CBAs for Mastery, Kipp and Camden Prep included below):
This document outlines a commitment of Mastery to provide the following community benefits to the families and broader community of the East Camden and North Camden neighborhoods. The specific benefits outlined were determined based upon community feedback gathered by both the District and Mastery from key stakeholders in the East Camden and North Camden communities.
I called the school district to ask about what this process was like, and I was told that it largely focused on dialogue with partners. There were not open meetings with the public about these agreements, and largely those involved in the conversations were non-profit partners, not community groups (an exception being in Whitman Park, where United Neighbors of Whitman Park were involved).
While it’s beneficial to have a school district pushing for additional community involvement from schools, it’s a little misleading to portray it as a community process. By not involving residents, these agreements miss a key component of CBAs — which often come about because a local neighborhood has leverage to make a deal with an incoming business, often in the form of a required zoning change or approval by a planning board. Such leverage is hard to come by with regards to charter schools and Renaissance Schools, but a vigorous Community Benefits Agreement process has such potential only if the District chooses to restrict Renaissance growth if community demands are not met. This would put “teeth” into these negotiations. Sadly, without that, they become little more that public relations documents about the “nice things” being done by schools — not a point of access for residents to have control over a school (in a city where so many other points have been taken away by state control and legislation which cuts democratic rule).
Take, for example, the following on local employment in the Mastery CBA:
Mastery and the District both agree that, given the crucial role a community plays in the success of any school, Mastery shall make every effort to prioritize the hiring of local Camden residents when filling open positions. This prioritization may take many forms, but at a minimum Mastery commits to offering a guaranteed interview for any qualified candidate seeking an open position.
Local hiring comes up in all community meetings, as I was assured it came up in the discussion of CBAs. But without any negotiating leverage for community, the end result is toothless proclamations about “interviews” without clear targets. It’s a soft process, with no consequences for Mastery if they fail to hire even a single Camden resident.
This is the second major issue with these CBAs. They include no framework for enforcement. Whose responsibility is it to ensure these things are being done? What are the consequences if schools do not pursue these partnerships? The entire point of CBAs is to set up a legal document to hold corporations (or in this case, schools) accountable. Otherwise, what’s the difference between a CBA and a press release by a Corporate Social Responsibility office? In this case, the answer is not very much. The CBAs largely catalogue what Renaissance Schools are already doing (which is good!) and wrote down an agreement about this work and these partners.
By not involving neighborhood groups, not giving community groups leverage, and not including any accountability for these documents, these CBAs cease to be legal agreements with an engaged community and become watered-down press releases about a school’s outreach. The primary effect is good press (which is why folks in traditional public schools felt so jilted — where is their press conference?) and Renaissance Schools come out of the negotiations looking good with no consequences for failure to meet the agreements. While it’s positive that the School District is engaging with Renaissance Schools to provide the services listed in these agreements, the School District has missed the wider point of CBAs — which is to make entities accountable to their promises to community. It’s to do that without accountability and without community.
The draft CBAs I received are included below:
Community Benefit Agreement
By and Between
The State-Operated Camden City School District
and
Mastery Schools of Camden
This Community Benefit Agreement, dated February 7, 2016, is entered into between the State-Operated Camden City School District, located at 201 North Front Street, Camden, New Jersey 08102 (“District”), and Mastery Schools of Camden (“Mastery”), a New Jersey non-profit corporation.
This document outlines a commitment of Mastery to provide the following community benefits to the families and broader community of the East Camden and North Camden neighborhoods. The specific benefits outlined were determined based upon community feedback gathered by both the District and Mastery from key stakeholders in the East Camden and North Camden communities.
Both parties retain the right to amend and adjust these services as needed, in order to be responsive to shifting community needs.
It is hereby agreed by and between the parties that Mastery will offer the following agreed upon Community Benefits to residents of East Camden and North Camden beginning in the Winter of 2016:
- Parent workshops
- 3 – 4 parent workshops on supporting learning at home
- 2 – 3 academically-themed events (e.g. math night, literacy night)
- Early Childhood & Academics
- 1 -2 Parent trainings from content experts in early childhood and supporting students’ academic needs
- Health and Social Services
- Partnership with Food Bank of South Jersey, providing monthly resources for families and surrounding community. Over 12,000lbs of food provided to date
- Partnership with YMCA to train families and greater community on healthy living through the Healthy Fitness Retreat
- Provide cancer screening workshop for women within the school and surrounding community
- Legal Services
- Partnership with Epiphany church to provide expungement clinic
- Partnership with Attorney General’s office to support school and surrounding community regularly
- Adult Education
- Partnership with La Salle University to provide ELL/Bilingual support
- Provide GED for families and surrounding community through partnership
- Workforce Development and Career Support
- Partnership with VITA providers to provide free/low cost tax preparation services to school and surrounding community
- Partnership with Cisco Networking Academy to provide IT training and certification program for students, families, and surrounding community
- Proving access to host information sessions for pre-apprenticeship training programs (e.g., Camden NJBuild program).
- Extended Learning Opportunities
- Partnership with YMCA and Education Works to provide free and low cost childcare for parents
- Partnership with community organizations
- Partner with North Camden Little League and other service-oriented organizations for 2 – 3 community events annually, including participation in the North Camden Little League Awards Night.
- Community gym access
- Providing access to gym space to community organizations and individuals on a regular basis (e.g. North Camden Little League’s Beat the Streets – Wrestling Program)
- Providing access to multipurpose space for City of Camden’s Youth Leadership / Levels of Brilliance Program on a regular basis.
In addition, Mastery and the District both agree that, given the crucial role a community plays in the success of any school, Mastery shall make every effort to prioritize the hiring of local Camden residents when filling open positions. This prioritization may take many forms, but at a minimum Mastery commits to offering a guaranteed interview for any qualified candidate seeking an open position.
Furthermore, Mastery and the District are pleased to note that in addition to this agreement, Mastery will be
moving construction of its new facility forward with commitments from contractors utilized to specific local hiring thresholds as well as apprenticeship opportunities for Camden residents.
State-Operated Camden City School District Mastery Schools of Camden
____________________________ _____________________________
State District Superintendent Board Chair or authorized signatory
Dated: ________________________ Dated: _________________________
Community Benefit Agreement
By and Between
The State-Operated Camden City School District
and
Camden Prep
This Community Benefit Agreement, dated February 7, 2016, is entered into between the State-Operated Camden City School District, located at 201 North Front Street, Camden, New Jersey 08102 (“District”), and Camden Prep, Inc. (“Camden Prep”), a New Jersey non-profit corporation.
This document outlines a commitment of Camden Prep to provide the following community benefits to the families and broader community of the Whitman Park and Liberty Park neighborhoods and any future catchment areas. The specific benefits outlined were determined based upon community feedback gathered by both the District and Camden Prep from key stakeholders in the Whitman Park and Liberty Park communities, particularly from the leadership of United Neighbors of Whitman Park, a local community organization that provides a number of services and supports to residents.
Both parties retain the right to amend and adjust these services as needed, in order to be responsive to shifting community needs.
It is hereby agreed by and between the parties that Camden Prep will offer the following agreed upon Community Benefits to residents of Whitman Park and any future catchment areas beginning in the Winter of 2016:
- 1 – 2 Adult workshops annually
- Adult workshops would be offered to provide support and services to the community based upon community interests and needs
- 1 – 2 Parent workshops annually
- Parent workshops would be offered to provide support and services to parents
- Partnership with community organizations
- Partner with United Neighbors of Whitman Park and other service-oriented organizations for 4 – 5 community events annually, including participation in the Whitman Park Little League
- Academic readiness supports
- Academic readiness resources for local Head Starts and pre-K centers, including but not limited to providing Kindergarten readiness booklets and resources to all Head Starts and pre-K centers in the neighborhood
- Community gym access
- Providing access to gym space to community organizations and individuals on a regular basis (e.g. Above the Rim basketball league)
- Volunteer staffing
- Provide volunteer staff when able to support United Neighbors of Whitman Park and other service-oriented organizations for neighborhood clean-up and/or Unity Days.
In addition, Camden Prep and the Camden City School District both agree that, given the crucial role a community plays in the success of any school, Camden Prep shall make every effort to prioritize the hiring of local Camden residents when filling open positions. This prioritization may take many forms, but at a minimum commits Camden Prep to offering a guaranteed interview for any qualified candidate seeking an open position who resides in Camden.
Furthermore, Camden Prep and the District are pleased to note that in addition to this agreement, Camden Prep will be moving construction of its new facility forward under Project Labor Agreements that commits any contractors utilized to specific local hiring thresholds as well as apprenticeship opportunities for Camden residents.
State-Operated Camden City School District Camden Prep
____________________________ _____________________________
State District Superintendent Board Chair or Designee
Dated: ________________________ Dated: _________________________
Community Benefit Agreement
By and Between
The State-Operated Camden City School District
and
KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy
This Community Benefit Agreement, dated February 7, 2016, is entered into between the State-Operated Camden City School District, located at 201 North Front Street, Camden, New Jersey 08102 (“District”), and KIPP: Cooper Norcross Academy (“KCNA”), a New Jersey non-profit corporation.
This document outlines a commitment of KCNA to provide the following community benefits to the families and broader community of the Lanning Square neighborhood. The specific benefits outlined were determined based upon community feedback gathered by both the District and KCNA from key stakeholders in the Lanning Square community.
Both parties retain the right to amend and adjust these services as needed, in order to be responsive to shifting community needs.
It is hereby agreed by and between the parties that KCNA will offer the following agreed upon Community Benefits to residents of Lanning Square beginning in the Winter of 2016:
- Adult classes and seminars
- Partner with local organizations and community partners to offer financial literacy workshops and legal seminars
- Parent workshops and leadership training
- Collaborate with partner organizations to host parenting workshops and leadership development for parents
- Family resource center
- Establish a school-based resource center to provide community members with computer access
- Community events
- Partner with community organizations to host 1-2 community events annually
- Community volunteer projects
- Members of the KCNA community will coordinate volunteer projects to benefit the Lanning Square and Cooper Plaza communities
- Shared facility space with community organizations
- Provide community organizations with access to the building in the evening, on weekends, and during the summer
In addition, KCNA and the Camden City School District both agree that, given the crucial role a community plays in the success of any school, KCNA shall make every effort to prioritize the hiring of local Camden residents when filling open positions. This prioritization may take many forms, but at a minimum commits KCNA to offering a guaranteed interview for any qualified candidate seeking an open position who reside in Camden.
Furthermore, KCNA and the District are pleased to note that in addition to this agreement, KCNA will be
moving construction of any additional facilities forward under Project Labor Agreements that commit any
contractors utilized to specific local hiring thresholds as well as apprenticeship opportunities for Camden
residents.
State-Operated Camden City School District KCNA
____________________________ _____________________________
State District Superintendent Board Chair
Dated: ________________________ Dated: _________________________
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