Against School Stigmatization: Successes, Conflicts and Main Challenges of the Educational Community of the Pisacane School

This article examines the efforts of the Pisacane School in the Tor Pignattara neighborhood of Rome to combat school segregation through the creation of a self-organized educational community of practice. In a context marked by stigmatisation and the flight of families without migratory background, the community – including teachers, parents and NGOs – developed innovative educational practices and collaborative spaces. These initiatives transformed the school into a place of pedagogic innovation and inclusion, fostering links with the surrounding neighbourhood. Over a decade, these efforts increased the school’s attractiveness, reversing de- clining enrolment and inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere in Italy. However, challenges remain, including tensions with local authorities, internal conflicts over the balance of power between stakeholders, and limited en- gagement from migrant families. In addition, the success of these inclusion efforts has led to the risk of school gentrification, potentially marginalising the very migrant community the school sought to serve. The Pisacane school provides an important case study of localised responses to segregation, highlighting the potential and limitations of community-led efforts to address systemic educational inequalities. It highlights the need for wider institutional learning and national policy support to understand and sustain these transformative practices.