Chapter 12: It Takes a Village: Teachers, Families, and Communities

Response to the Quote:

“As society has increasingly centered on advancing one’s individual interests, less attention has

been paid to a sense of community responsibility for raising other people’s children.”

This quote is a perfect illustration of how society today more and more guards

individualism instead of stewardship. In other generations, people were involved in the rearing of

all children and it was not considered strange for people to advice someone, who was a parent,

on how to correct the child. While in the past, people’s aims were collectively oriented in the

sense that everyone bore responsibility toward each other, now people tend to think in terms of

personal and family interests and, therefore, child-rearing is no longer a community matter.

There is decrease on the communal support hence families are forced to fend for themselves in

all the difficulties. One of the most important things we have to kindle is the feeling that all

members of a society, starting from families, have to ensure all children get proper care and

upbringing they deserve from the whole society.

Troubled Families

Such households face enormous challenges that affect as not only themselves but also the

overall society and its members. It becomes hard for families experiencing issues like poverty,

domestic violence, or substance abuse, it results in pressure on social services, school, and

healthcare systems. Of course, children from such families can have difficulties with learning

and adapting with peers, which harm their further development and, ultimately, the well-being of

the whole society.

Other contributors to these challenges include the subsequent wearing down of social

capital, which is the capacity of people within a society to co-operate to meet their needs. Thus,
instead of strengthening the families in need, there is no community programs, to begin with,

related childcare and development, and parents might not be empowered but lonely instead.

Through the lack of bonding relationships between families and such formations as schools and

local NGO, it becomes even more difficult to design effective approaches to solving social

problems.

According to Bronfenbrenner, ecosystems are characteristics by the interdependent

relationship between an individual and his environment. It also emphasizes the point that the

development of children is in Part by their families but also by the community, schools, and

other social agents. Cohesion with this theory shows that every child should be supported and all

family needs to enhance functionality and proper child development. If communities are

encouraged to take part in nurturing the young and young at heart then that results in organized

and strong families something that is encouraged in this movie.

Progress via Corporate Participation

Business participation in community and school activities is able to help families enhance

their standard by individual augmentation and availing of provisions, grants, etc. For instance,

companies can sponsor after school activities, support the provision of educational materials or

develop means to award the needy children. Further, businesses can act as sponsors donating

equipment, volunteering mentorship programs, internships or engaging in talent Master class to

tutor the young generation on what they need to do to prepare for the next level upon leaving

school.

Promising managerial employment practices, to include flexible working hours, parental

leave and childcare services within the corporate environment have a direct positive impact on

families by easing pressures and increasing parenting involvement in the lives of their children.
They also give employment policies that help parents to have a healthier work-life balance and

stronger families and communities.

Social policies and legislation involving families and schools like education finance,

healthcare and housing to highlight but not limit how laws influence the availability of

opportunities for children and families. Supporting bills that call for nondiscriminatory education

and child care and affordable and quality health care are mechanisms that can enhance the social

welfare of families and guarantee success for schools in coming up with reasonable methods for

equal provision for every child.

Advocates

In the part where teachers and families assume the role of a public advocate with the

communities, then he or she is able to contribute in supporting child development and increase

the bonds between schools and families. Four separate actions that can take place include:

1. Advocating for school funding: Society can support teachers and families to demand more

funding to schools so that every learner can get proper teaching and learning materials.

2. Raising awareness about social issues: Being directly involved in the community or

attending meetings that help with decision making at a community level, teachers together with

families can raise concerns such as child poverty, mental health or school safety.

3. Building partnerships with local businesses: To foster students, the relationships between

the organizations and the firms sponsoring the events and programs for children can be fostered.

4. Creating support networks for families: Teachers can facilitate the formation of parental

support associations or sessions on issues which parents encounter in their homes to create

teamwork.
 Families/school support from various community like libraries, recreation centers, social

organizations and other agencies are valuable resources. These resources are places for learning,

play as well as social interaction, they may include sources of learning programs, health and

other family support services.

The practice of incorporating community service as part of the course enhances

individual, school and community values since it enhances the culture of being civic. To the

students it affords actual practice in working for others and imparts the lesson of usefulness.

From schools, it increases their bond with the community and at the same time, improves the

educational service delivery out. In the interest of the community service learning projects may

arguably help deal with the needs in the community and foster a culture of togetherness among

the citizens.