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When communities come together to talk about their public schools, great things happen. Conversations about challenges and opportunities bring forth common goals and concerns, and result in a shared vision of what quality public education can and should be.
Click the topics below to read examples of how communities are working together to Give Kids Good Schools.
Featured Stories
Community Forums Spark Discussion
Challenge
In Hamblen County, Tennessee community members and local education organizations wanted to create an environment that would allow parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials to talk freely about their concerns and goals for local public schools. HC*EXCELL, a local education fund, envisioned a series of community forums that would be open to the public and spark ongoing dialogue about how to improve and support local public schools.
Strategy
In order to bring these forums to light, HC*EXCELL developed partnerships with the local chamber of commerce, Wayne State Community College, a state technology institute, the local PBS station and others to help organize and promote the forums across the 10-county area. These partners spread the word by distributing a brochure about the forums and making presentations to their various members and audiences.
Each community forum began with an advance screening of a PBS special titled, ﾓSCHOOL: The Story of American Public Educationﾔ. To begin the conversation, participants were encouraged to talk about their reactions to the piece and were encouraged to voice their opinions about local education issues. The following 5 questions were also asked at each forum as a way to spark discussion:
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how important do you think public education is today?
2. How should our community fund public education?
3. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of your communityﾒs school system?
4. If you could change one think about your school system, what would it be?
5. How could you participate in improving education in your community?
Results
Approximately 550 students, parents, business and industry representatives, senior citizens, teachers, school administrators, public officials and others participated in more than 30 forums over a period of 18 months. These conversations resulted in a report titled Building a Knowledge Community that identified community strengths and areas of concern, and identified ways the community could work together to build a strong educational and economic future.
The report was distributed to a wide range of organizations throughout the county and followed-up with a luncheon hosted by Walters State Community College and the Citizen Tribune (the local newspaper) to discuss the findings. The Citizen Tribune also published a three-part series about the engagement process and its findings.
As a result of the community conversations, several new youth development projects were developed including job shadowing opportunities for high school students, and new recreational activities offered through a partnership between the parks department and the local housing authority.
Gonzalo Garza Independence High School Reconnects At-Risk Youth
Austin, Texas
Challenge
When 98 percent of students in the inner-city areas of Austin, Texas were classified as "at risk" by the state, parents, school administrators, and community members decided that something must be done. Drop-out rates were rapidly increasing and students were in need of support services such as individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, and tutoring/mentoring assistance. Together, these groups decided that the best way to reconnect student drop-outs to school was to create a program that adapted to their immediate needs.
Strategy
In 1998, Victoria Baldwin founded Gonzalo Garza Independence High School and currently serves as the school's principal. Her vision was to give all Garza students the chance to earn a diploma. "These kids are the pioneers. They're the ones who are brave. They're the ones who are taking charge of their lives. They're committed to fulfilling the democratic principles that will keep us alive."
The school appeals to students by offering a flexible schedule and curriculum that allows students to pursue their interests. Facilitators are available to students to help search for jobs, locate internships, and prepare for college visits. There aren't penalties for absences, because students learn the natural consequences of missing class work, and other experiences such as career field trips, company tours, and job shadowing opportunities.
Career exploration is a main focus of Garza, but the school also provides workshops on college preparation, life skills, financial aid for college, accessing online job listings, and small business.
None of these services would be possible without the partnerships formed by the school with Austin area organizations. Partners such as the Police Department and Forensics Lab allow students interested in forensics and criminal investigations to work at crime-scene based labs. Students deeply value the unique opportunity to gain experience with leading experts in their respective fields. These experiences, combined with a broad range of support services, such as counseling, health care references, and legal aid available to students for free as a result of Garza's partnership with Community in Schools (CIS).
Results
The school is a success in the Austin community. Of the 201 graduates in 2004, 88% requested transcripts for college or other advanced training. In addition, Garza boasts an amazing 2.7% dropout rate - students are committed to sticking with the program to earn a diploma. The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice highlighted Garza as a model in violence prevention and the Austin Chronicle has named Garza "The Best Public School Model" in Austin.
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