Randi Weingarten, who will soon be the new head of the AFT, offers the following statement:

“Can you imagine a federal law that promoted community schools — schools that serve the neediest children by bringing together under one roof all the services and activities they and their families need?” Ms. Weingarten asked in the speech.

“Imagine schools that are open all day and offer after-school and evening recreational activities and homework assistance,” she said. “And suppose the schools included child care and dental, medical and counseling clinics.”

I know I’ve heard this before. Somewhere. It was among the rationalizations for large public housing projects — but I bet tomorrow, when I look into Justice, Justice or The Strike that Changed New York — I’ll be able to find a similar quote from community activists.

Such an approach all but ignores the spatial dimensions that continue to fuel inequality: building community schools where the community has minimal social capital (hate that term but it works here) will require long-term political commitment that I don’t see developing.