When everyone goes to school

[COMMENTARY]  When applied to education, the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is a very popular concept, but our schools and youth are missing a vital support system from adults in the community who find it difficult to help students do better in school and life.

Far too many students, especially in urban districts, start the day without a healthy breakfast, attend schools with over-sized classes, read limited or outdated textbooks and receive constant pressure to do two things: show up on Count Day (where state per-pupil education funds are allocated based on attendance) and perform well on standardized tests. After school, students go home to households where the parents’ (or guardians’) extent of educational accountability is often in the form of three questions: Did you do your homework? How are you doing in school? When do you get your report card?  Unfortunately, the follow-up to these questions from care-givers is woefully inadequate and through it all, the significance of academic achievement rings hollow for students. From my personal work with students (teaching Junior Achievement courses and tutoring students for the ACT), I find that what many youth need is the unique accountability that comes from people outside their school and family. My idea is to create a program for students in grades 6-12 that provides a half-hour for community time – everyday. Granted, some schools occasionally do bring in people to talk about their occupations or the importance of education, but efforts like this are largely dependent upon the social capital of teachers, parents, and staff. This program would be far more comprehensive in that students will have community members constantly illustrating the practical benefits of education.

This program would welcome community members into the classroom to share life experiences, instill context for the importance of academic achievement and provide encouragement.

For example, a local banker could come in and talk about how math seemed abstract when she was in school, but now she uses math everyday when trying to determine whether or not an applicant will receive a loan. A recent college graduate could talk about being able to competitively apply for well-paying, fulfilling jobs across the country and the world; something that is next to impossible for those with only a high school diploma. A local entrepreneur could speak on how easier it is to open up your own business when people see that you have taken the time to get the proper training in your given profession, highlighting the direct relationship between the education you invest in yourself and the resources other people are willing to invest in you.

When most adults decide to get involved in helping to tutor/mentor youth, they are often directed to volunteer their time at after-school programs. This model is commendable and there are many after-school programs that do great work, but like a typical day at school, it is unclear if after-school programs are improving academic achievement. As Patricia Bursch details in a May 2007 report for the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, “The research base on how Supplemental Educational Services (SES) may affect student performance is virtually non-existent.”

The focus on student achievement through more teaching will have little impact unless students understand how striving for excellence in their school work will make a significant positive impact in their lives. Community members are uniquely situated to make the case for the importance of education.

Community time would require community members to go through two months of training over the summer to receive a crash course in guidance counseling. Of course, there would be extensive background checks to ensure that not just anyone could have access to our kids and the program would be rigorously evaluated. For adults that work during the day, school districts and city government officials could work with businesses to provide incentives for their employees to get involved in the program. (e.g. paid-time off for the time employees spend in the schools, nominal gas reimbursements, tax breaks for businesses based on the total number of hours their employees volunteer, etc.)

Some will say that it would be too expensive to implement a plan like this, especially when school resources are already stretched thin. I acknowledge that this program would require a large amount of planning and resources, but if done right, the entire community would benefit from students who are accountable to a wider set of responsible adults, better positioned to work in a knowledge-based economy, and most importantly, understand why it is important to do well in school.

This vision is not perfect and needs work, but my plan is to develop this idea into a proposal. If I sparked something within you, please contact me at bqwhite@gmail.com.