This article documents the contribution of local elementary teachers and examines the teachers' role as a conduit between an urban school and its community. Based on participant observation and interviews with local teachers and parents, the research considers the teachers' bridging position as professional practitioners and community constituents and highlights the way their unique location manifests itself in the school and surrounding neighborhood. By looking at the teachers' work through the theoretical lens of social capital, the author makes the case that local practitioners are an essential resource in the effort to build effective collaborations between schools and the neighborhoods they serve. (Contains 1 endnote.)