In this provocative and timely book, Luis Eladio Torres challenges a common assumption: that education is the "first priority" for families, including those who are raising their children in low-income, high-need communities. Instead, he argues that these families must confront daunting challenges in five other areas—food, shelter, safety, health, and access to technology—before they can focus on their children's education. To make his case, Torres draws on his experience as the award-winning principal of an elementary school in the Bronx and as a leader in New York City's community schools network. A community school focuses on educating the whole child, supporting families, and extending its reach into the larger community—both by tapping into resources the community can offer and by providing a range of social and health services to that community. The Six Priorities : How to Find the Resources Your School Community Needs demonstrates how leaders in challenging education environments can improve their schools through a "community-matching process" that consists of four steps: 1. Identifying the gaps between what is available and what is necessary for a school and its community to function well 2. Specifying needs , including prioritizing and distinguishing needs from wants. 3. Telling your story , as a way to gain support for the effort to close the gap and address the needs. 4. Establishing strategic partnerships with individuals, organizations, and agencies that can provide resources and expertise. To help you implement the process in your own school, this insightful guide includes a downloadable community-matching worksheet. The goals of this process are clear: to reduce the shocking inequities between impoverished communities and their wealthier counterparts; to help disadvantaged students succeed; and, ultimately, to steer them toward productive lives beyond the classroom. The need has never been greater. Luis Torres has a passion for fairness, equity, students, and their families that is evident throughout his new book, The Six Priorities. As an early proponent of the community school model, I have long believed that we must foster strong collaborations between schools, social service agencies, and health professionals in communities that are plagued by poverty. The Six Priorities provides practical, proven strategies to build community partnerships that have been shown to improve student outcomes. It is a must-read for any education professional who seeks to build a more just and equitable world for our children. — Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York Today's school leaders are charged with doing more with less. Throughout his career, Luis Torres has been relentless in accessing "village" resources to ensure that students reach their preferred futures. The Six Priorities serves as a blueprint for other school leaders striving to secure strategic partnerships to close the gaps and remove barriers that threaten student success. Torres moves beyond the why and what of community schools to the how with purpose and urgency. — Cheryl Watson-Harris, Co-Founder, Urban School Specialists, LLC Never was the need for an "edulution" more important than now. Mr. Torres brilliantly gives us not only the "why" but also the "how" to ensure that education is priority number 1 for everyone. In The Six Priorities , Mr. Torres writes from a place of hope, passion, and commitment to making education an equitable enterprise. He lays out a structure with very clear steps for following and developing a community school model. He is a brilliant storyteller, a transformational leader, and an advocate for changing the way we think about our schools in their communities. He has given us a playbook, and we should all take up his charge and become "equity warriors"! — Dr. Barbara McKeon, Senior Program Director, Cahn Fellows Program, and 2015 Cahn Fellow for Distinguished Principals Luis Eladio Torres, president of the New York City Elementary School Principals Association, has been a principal in New York City for over 18 years. After serving in the U.S. Navy for 10 years, Torres earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from City College, a master's degree in education from Mercy College, and an advanced degree in administration from Hunter College. Torres then entered the NYC Leadership Academy, after which he was given the responsibility of leading C.S. 55. Torres and his team turned C.S. 55—once the lowest-performing school in New York City, located in the Morrisania housing projects in the Bronx—into a model school. Torres has raised millions of dollars for C.S. 55 and surrounding schools, acting as his school's spokesperson, publicist, and cheerleader.