Not only have public schools in urban communities have been historically segregated by race and income, but schools are also segregated by resources. The opportunity and resource gap amongst affluent and low-income students is monumental. The School Partnerships is an effort to fix an often unspoken injustice in public education. Each partnership between a law firm or business and a school is unique and depends on the age and grade level of the students, the priorities of the school’s principal, teachers and parents, and the interests and background of the law firm employees is developed to create an enriching and collaborative partnership. All of these activities focus on achieving academic goals identified by the schools, which provides power, engagement, and agency to a marginalized community. Firms have also worked hard to provide the basic necessities that every school should have: computer hardware and software upgrades, library renovations and school beautification. Additionally, the Committee and several firms that have partnered with parents to form and legally organize parent-teacher organizations, drafted a School Partnership Fundraising Guide & Toolkit that was published in 2015 so that many more WLC School Partnership firms, schools, and parent organizations can make informed decisions about which parent-teacher organization and fundraising vehicle best suits their needs.
The Committee also organizes three School Partnership Coordinator Luncheons in the fall, winter and spring, where firm and school representatives discuss critical topics in education, share their latest insights regarding programs and projects at their schools.