Personal Perspective

Recently, I have been discussing the sufferings of people in inner-city neighborhoods; the closing of factories, unemployment, accompanying poverty, crime and the like. I have tried to make the point that neighborhood public schools need to be helped not shuttered.

Let's try to put ourselves in the position of a parent of school-age children. Imagine that you are a parent who has witnessed the exodus of jobs and who has felt the effects of home values plummeting. Try to put yourself in a position where you see homes boarded up and you look out the window each day, worried about the safety of your children.

You live in an area of L.A., Chicago, NYC or Washington where the perception of your community is negative, whether true or not, for all sorts of reasons.

These are but a few of the issues a parent has to cope with on a daily basis.

Now you get the news that, in addition to all of the above problems, the city government wants to close your neighborhood school. Can you see that a parent looks at this as one more slap in the face, one more opportunity lost, one less viable asset in the community, and one less chance to make it in 'the land of opportunity?' I can!

Reasonable people can agree that there are different ways to improve and assist schools but I can't believe that all those same folks can't also agree that losing aneighborhood public school just adds to the misery of those who suffer the most.

Just put yourself in their place and I think you'll see what I mean.

Thanks,
Dick

Ways to Help CPS Schools

Needless to say, the supplies we provide to thousands of CPS students are critical to their daily learning. Don't take it from me, the various people within the schools we serve have said as much.

Aside from the financial assistance you so generously provide, there are other ways to support neighborhood schools in Chicago. Funds are of critical importance but, I believe there are other means and methods of supporting the schools.

Here are but a few ways you can help the children. If you work at a company that has a 'matching funds' program, why not make a donation to Schools Count and then solicit the same funds from your firm. Also, if you or someone you know has the time, why not call a school to inquire about tutoring in an area of your expertise? I'm certain the school would be grateful for your willingness to help!

If you work for a firm that has lots of paper, staplers, binders, and the like, maybe they would be willing to donate these supplies to a deserving school. If you do have these types of supplies simply contact me at rich219@comcast.net and I'll direct you to a school in need. Perhaps you work at a gym or school that has extra athletic supplies. Check with the people in charge. You could be pleasantly surprised that they wish to make a donation. You might have other ways of helping schools...go for it, they can use your backing.

Why not look into some of the above opportunities? They are most likely to fulfill some great needs. I certainly am appreciative of your support.

Many thanks,
Dick

Our Mission in CPS schools

Recently I wrote about the blight of various neighborhoods, and the public schools therein, in Chicago. I mentioned the loss of manufacturing companies and the accompanying unemployment, poverty, a lack of safety because gangs may be present and the like. All of this adds up to a loss of property value and fewer funds being available for schools and other public services.

Sadly, schools are then perceived as not serving students because the entire area might be suffering. Needless to say, some schools may not be doing as well as they once did but this doesn't mean they aren't educating children in the proper manner. Often, these neighborhood public schools are among the most thriving enterprises within the community.

When I go into various schools, within CPS, I find the teachers doing admirable work in spite of the above difficulties. It is my belief that helping neighborhood schools will, in the long run, do more to assist the neighborhood than merely shutting them down.

So, our mission is multi-faceted, to help students and parents and, in turn, assist the very communities in which they live.

Thanks for all your help in this mission!
Dick

Crisis in Schools?

To hear the call for school reform, one would think that nearly all schools in this country are in need for a 'shake-up.' That simply isn't the case. I won't deny the fact that some schools are underperforming or don't meet the needs of its students to the fullest, quite the contrary, many need support, but they don't need to be shuttered.

Most of those schools which need assistance didn't suddenly stop performing. Did you ever stop and think about the fact that a neighborhood that has lost manufacturing jobs, is hit hard by crime and has too many gang members might be part of the reason for a schools's demise? A school is just one part of the community and if the larger community suffers, it stands to reason that individual parts, such as the schools, are going to also feel the ills effects. That being the case, how can a school, which has lost some of its punch counteract such problems?

I am pleading with reasonable people to better understand the above conditions and not to simply abandon those poor performing schools. Local governments and the citizens of a neighborhood need to band together to find ways to enable a poor performing school to improve its performance.

By the way, contrary to the popular myth now circulating, there are plenty of inner city public schools on the rise. Those stories, sadly, aren't part of the current dialogue regarding school reform. Before one judges that ALL American schools are in a state of crisis, it would be helpful to examine all the facts.

Thanks for your support of SCC!
Dick

A Critique

Last night I had an opportunity to view the education film entitled The Lottery. The film was most provocative, resembling the earlier film, Waiting for Superman, calling attention to the positive results of the Harlem Success Academy while being critical of neighborhood public schools.

Both films have some real merits in terms of school reform and the success of some charter and non-neighborhood schools. One criticism I have of both films is the fact that they largely center their attention on the successes of inner charters and the failures of inner-city public schools while essentially ignoring the HUGE successes of many, many rural and suburban neighborhood public schools not to mention a good number of inner city neighborhood public schools.

I realize the focus of the film, The Lottery, is to examine the positives associatecd with the Harlem Success Project. However, I believe far too many people, who view the film, will walk away generalizing that what happens in Harlem is true for the rest of America. Quite simply, that's not even close to the truth.

Aside from the above points, I can name many, many inner city neighborhood public schools, as well as suburban and rural ones, that are serving their students extraordinarily well. Don't be misled...there are plenty of traditional public neighborhood schools that set high standards, have curriculum rigor, and prepare their students for entry into the world at large.

For example, Benjamin Bannker Elementary in New Orleans is an inner city public school. The school is superb. Teachers at Banneker are bright, they set the bar high, relate well to their students and don't mind being accountable. Ms. Branche, the Principal, is a thoughtful leader. She inspires and works tirelessly on behalf of the entire school community.

I don't want it said that we have to abandon neighborhood schools and immediately set up charters in order to achieve success. That simply isn't the case. I won't deny the successes of some schools in the two films, but neither will I deny (nor should you) that many of those same success stories are to be found in thousands of neighborhood public schools throughout America.

Dick Flesher

More on Neighborhood Schools

In yesterday's blog I made a point of endorsing neighborhood schools as adding to the health of the community and school. I want to follow-up yesterday's points by looking at the pluses of neighborhood schools from another angle.

Many of the suburban schools in Chicago, and around the country, are indeed neighborhood ones. Many of the these schools are attractive for a variety of reasons and cement the area both educationally and in other ways.

Let me take the pluses from an educational point of view. When students attend school, within the same vicinity, its quite easy for students to get together to work on projects or to study for exams. Likewise, high schools students who live in the same community often join organizations, clubs or sports when they now their neighborhood friends participate in them. The shared daily school experience also spills over, outside the building, into discussions with neighborhood classmates. Most, if not all, of these interactions are absent in non-neihborhood schools.

Neighborhood schools that have farmer markets, sporting events, car washes, plays, and various school and non-school events are sure to attract a great many more community students and parents than a non-neighborhood school. Why? Because the people in the community have a vested interest in the community because their son(s) and/or daughter(s) have attended the local school.

By the way, think about this if you would. Generally speaking, do you suppose parents in a tight-knit neighborhood school setting are more likely to put money into maintaining a quality school vs. a school where the students aren't largely from the immediate community?
I think you'll parents from a tight-knit neighborhood more likely to put funds into maintaining their neighborhood school.

All of these are reasons to further support neighborhood schools in rural, urban and suburban areas.

Many thanks,
Dick

Need for Neighborhood Schools

With all the buzz about private schools, selective ones, charters, and charter clusters, the need for neighborhood public schools is all the more necessary. You need not merely look at the overly competitive selection process that is associated with the above schools to know that neighborhood public schools deserve more attention and support.

Neighborhood public schools, where the students primarily come from the immediate vicinity, are critical to the success of the neighborhood and the students. Often as businesses close or move, it is the local school that becomes the anchor and focus of community events. Often plays, playgrounds, after-school activities, farmer markets and the like are held at the various neighborhood schools. Why not? These are often safe and accessible venues for such activities.

On the educational front, what can be better for kids than high performing neighborhood schools? To me, nothing! Having a child walk a few blocks to school, in a safe manner, beats being transported all around the city. What better way for kids to grow up, and attend school, than doing so with their lifelong buddies in the neighborhood? Want to see more parent involvement with the education of their sons and daughters? Keep it local.

These aren't mundane issues. The above points have critical implications for learning and social development. It is high time we stopped 'tearing down' neighborhood public schools and saw the good in doing everything we can to help them progress.

Dick