critical place of community development in school transformation: The story of the Vaughn family center and Pacoima urban village, The

Teacher Education Quarterly, Fall 1999 by Oppenheim, Matt

By early 1997, the School had ascended from the position as one of the worst elementary schools in Pacoima in standardized test scores and attendance to the best school in reading scores. It also had one of the highest attendance records in the state (Chan, 1997: 3). As early as 1994, many people, including teachers, administrators, parents and agency staff linked the School's emerging success to the way that the Center served parents and children in the School (Family Care Healthy Kids, 1994).

At the same time that the Vaughn Center and other Pacoima Urban Village began thriving in its process of transformation, there was growing friction with the School Principal. Many expressed that the principal's management style was more "directed" than process-oriented, and many parents began to feel that when parents really began to have voice in school decision-making, she would often override their decisions and talk to them demeaningly. While she was improving school facilities, attracting large grants for school improvement, and gaining national attention, parents wondered why she couldn't recognize the critical importance for them to have their own "sanctuary" and stake in decision-making? A committee formed of parents and teachers helped resolve some issues, but this committee stopped meeting when critical agreements were not made.

In late 1996, the Center director left her position, preferring to work on community issues on a national and international level, rather than in the Pacoima community.

While the principal was withdrawing her support for the Family Center and the Center director left, several funding sources were drying up. Funding cycles were ending, and some of the fun ders were more interested in collaboration amongst agencies than supporting grass roots development. But with these changes an amazing thing happened. Without any funding to support their positions, parents and community residents continued to run the Center voluntarily. In fact, without a director or any pressures from outsiders, the Center became more truly democratic. Those who had worked as family advocates formed a team to run activities. An outside organization, Strategic Action for ajust Economy (SAJE), volunteered to help the organizational development of the Pacoima Urban Village. They decided on a cooperative model, with residents forming the "Assembly," its board of directors. Various teams would lead programs that would focus on health, education, economic development, and childcare.

In October 1997, the Pacoima Urban Village (PUV) was formed as a non-profit organization by many of the parents who had worked at the Vaughn Family Center. They were invited to move to offices at the Van Nuys Pierce Park Apartments, a low-income housing project with a sympathetic manager. The management of the housing project refurbished a two-bedroom apartment to be used as offices. Members of the PUV went through a process of defining their goals and objectives and wrote their own vision statement: