Committed people make change possible

About a week ago, one of our Americorps members emailed me explaining her experience this summer:

When I was attending training for Americorps and I heard many of the speakers tell me my life would forever be changed after this summer, I had a time believing them. But, three weeks into my term, I know they are right. When I started three weeks ago, I was sure of my career path. But, it has quickly been changed.

I was sure I did not want to work with younger kids for several reasons. I felt as if young kids had too much energy. I also thought I wanted students who had a certain amount of knowledge about a particular subject before they entered my classroom. Lastly, I have always thought there needed to be more focus on secondary education because it appeared to me that older students were often left to fin for themselves if they were not at the top of their class by the time they entered high school.

But after this week, my mind has been completely changed. I was working with two boys on Tuesday who are entering sixth grade. It became apparent to me for the first time this week they could not read.  I was shocked that it took me three weeks to notice this. Not only have these boys been failed by the school system, I felt as if I had failed them too. I kept asking myself why did it take me so long to realize they could not read. How did I not pick up on the clues? I realized that every time they told me they did not like to read, it was really because they could not read.

Even after I got off of work, I could not stop thinking about the boys and how many more there must be like them in our community. I also thought about when I was their age and I did not like to read either. If it had not been for my parents sending me to tutoring and enhancing my reading skills, I never would have learned to enjoy reading as well.

I learned this week how important it is for young minds to be enriched with a solid foundation. So, when they do reach high school they will have the fundmental skills they need to futher their knowledge. I am positive that I want to be one of those people to help build their foundation.

Though this Americorps member will graduate in December with a major in Political Science and a minor in English, as she sat in my office she explained, "This program is amazing!" And went on to tell me her desire is now to enter the non-profit world and create the same type of learning opportunities in another after school program. She recounted commented on all of the learning opportunities the kids have on a daily basis.

Hearing her talk about kids who are upper elementary, middle, and high school who struggle tremendously in reading makes me very sad. However, it makes me proud to have a program that is so intentional and working so diligently on providing educational learning and growing opportunities for kids of all ages. It also makes me proud to have a staff that is so committed to move children forward who have, in the past, missed the foundational principles they need to be successful.

The Americorps members and social work interns we have been able to recruit (as well as the two staff members) have provided us with above-and-beyond commitment that is immeasurable...not for program, but for each individual child...and that's what matters.

Thank you to all of you who make it happen each day!

Moments that make me smile

I absolutely LOVE being around kids...well, during certain moments. :) ...and today was one of those moments.

I went downstairs to the After-School Academy to get some footage of the mural the kids designed, drew, and are now painting. (I'll put it together in a post soon). As I stood watching three of the kids paint, one of the other kids stood beside me. Quite honestly, I wasn't paying him any attention whatsoever. I was focused on the mural painting for one, but I've also learned to ignore his antics at times when he decides to act out. So I guess I was unconsciously tuning him out.

I can't quite explain my brain, but I could hear him talking, but it was little one or two word phrases so I guess I thought he was just talking to himself figuring someone would notice and tell him to be quiet or something (that's the way he often gets the attention he desires). Something in my brain told me what he was saying was familiar, but I guess I was just too focused on other things to pay him any mind.

"Hey. Who?"

"Oh?"

"Me?"

"You."

"Yo.Yes."

His words somehow soaked in to my brain and I realized what he was doing! I turned on my heel and faced him with a big smile on my face. He looked at me with a big grin and said, "I saw it."

See, on our After-School Academy blog I post a Story Time section that I or someone else has read to our Flip video camera and I have posted on YouTube. I started it thinking of Reading Rainbow and thought we could use our technology to re-create something similar. I didn't know if it would catch on, but I figured it couldn't hurt and it doesn't take a lot of effort.

Yo! Yes! has been up quite a while. I'd never heard any kids comment on the story so I didn't know if they were listening to it. Evidently some are. ...so much so that they've memorized the words to it. This particular little guy has, at times, been one of our biggest challenges. Either the book, the readers, the computer, or all of the above drew him in. It doesn't matter what it was that drew him in. We all know that reading books leads to improvement in all areas. Since he started with us last summer, I've seen all kinds of improvement in him. This is just one more moment to add to the list. :)

Yo! Yes! is one of my favorite children's books. I'm sure you'll love it, too. You can listen to it here:

College (un)readiness--what's wrong with this picture?

Our kids are going to school for 13 years of their lives thinking that by the time they finish high school they, at the very minimum, will be prepared to function adequately in their world.

However, many of them have much higher ambitions. They want to attend college. It's the natural next step...and these days high school is no longer enough.

Unfortunately, the reality is, many of our kids are not being adequately prepared in the schools they attend. As they move into the college process, they don't have the education needed to succeed. Thus, many of the students are required to take "developmental" courses. Reading, Writing, and Math courses that are below college level. Courses that cost money that financial aid sometimes won't pay for (depending on the school). Courses that gain them absolutely no credit toward a degree, but take time to complete...sometimes several semesters depending on how far behind the student is.

Many of the students in these situations are not likely to complete college due to many different factors anyway. Add to that 1 or 2 semesters of college that cost money but don't even count?!...Kids get discouraged and decide there are better and quicker ways to begin making money.

We can spend time blaming this lack of adequate education on parents, teachers, government, or whoever we'd like. But the bottom line is that our children are suffering. We are the people. We have a democratic society. We have to stand up and speak out.

We need to help our children.

Read the report below for the facts in Massachusetts...and realize that the facts are probably the same or even more striking in Dallas.

Our children need ADVOCATES...and they need to be taught to advocate! We need to connect people in power with the voices of the children and the families who expereince these situations so that the laws that are created, the funding that is cut, the resources that are deemed "unnecessary" don't adversely affect those who are the most vulnerable. I don't believe that this lack of education is happening "despite our best efforts." I know we can do more. If you visit one of our urban schools and compare it to a suburban school in the same area, I think you will agree.


State report shows many students are not ready for college
By Rodrique Ngowi
The Boston Globe / February 28, 2008

BOSTON—Massachusetts may have one of the highest rates of students going to college, but the first statewide "school-to-college" report shows that 37 percent of public high school graduates who go for public higher education may not be ready.

The joint report released Thursday by the Massachusetts Department of Education and Board of Higher Education analyzed the performance of the class of 2005 and showed that students lagging behind needed remedial courses in college.

State education officials say about 80 percent of Massachusetts high school students go to college. The report found that more students from low-income families, some racial and ethnic minorities, those who do not speak English as their first language, and those who receive special education services in high school go to community colleges -- where most of them need remedial academic help. Remedial courses add to the cost and time it takes to graduate, increasing their likelihood of dropping out, the report said.

Higher education officials were not surprised by the finding, saying they hope the report leads to new efforts to help students.

"This reports what we've known anecdotally for some time, and that is there are certain groups of students that, despite our best efforts, are still not graduating from high school ready to pursue college-level work immediately," said Eileen O'Connor, spokeswoman for the Board of Higher Education.

Acting Commissioner of the Department of Education Jeffrey Nellhaus said: "We hope that the data in this report serves as a catalyst for steps to be taken statewide to improve the academic preparation and performance of the Commonwealth's public school students."

Key findings in the report:

--African American students, Hispanic students, low-income students, those who were not fluent in English and those receiving special education services in high school were more likely to enroll at a community college. Asians were more likely to enroll at a state university.

--About 65 percent of students enrolled in a community college took at least one remedial course, as did 22 percent of students at state colleges and 8 percent of students at state university campuses.

--About 63 percent of students who received special education services in high school needed remedial courses, as did 59 percent of African Americans, 59 percent of Hispanics, 52 percent of those from low-income families and 50 percent of those with limited English proficiency.

--Fifty percent of students who scored as needing improvement on the Grade 10 Math MCAS exam enrolled in remedial math in college.

And how did you spend your Christmas holidays??

It's amazing what connections can be made at Starbucks! (ok...well, maybe that's an excuse. :) ).

A couple of weeks ago I met a friend of a friend for coffee. We both had similar desires to see kids get into college and be successful. From that meeting, we planned a College Prep Day. As I talked to parents and invited teenagers, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of teenagers who said they were coming.

I was quickly disappointed when I called to confirm with each of them the day before the event. There were many different reasons..."I forgot"..."My daughter's sick"...

Then the day of the event..."My brother went to work with my dad"..."She had to watch her younger sisters and brother because her mom had to work."

I get frustrated when people have opportunities, literally in their back yard, yet they don't take advantage of those opportunities. I also get frustrated when people have to do things because they don't have money like kids in wealthier families...like go to work with their dad or watch their younger siblings...and are unable to take advantage of opportunities.

The great thing, though, was that as some people were backing out, the ones still coming asked, "Can I bring a friend?" Plus, some kids I'd forgotten to remind...and forgotten were coming...showed up right on time.

By the time we started this morning, we had 11 middle and high school students and 6 college students (all who have been involved with Central Dallas in the past and were there to volunteer).

The teenagers asserted themselves as they did introductions:

Wrote resumes:












Thought about what to write in their essays:









Learned how to mind map:










Smiled:









Created their own mind map:










Talked about their college experiences:

Overall, it was a great day!

There may have "only" been 11...and they may not have been from Turner Courts (well, a couple of them used to live in TC)...but there were 11 students there *and* 7 college students who have been where those 11 were.

Besides, I've learned that 1) you've got to start before you can build something and 2) it takes time to build trust and rapport...especially for something like college...when most people go into neighborhoods like Turner Courts assuming that kids just need to "stay off the street" and wouldn't be interested in college or academics. I also know that every person was there because of that relationship and that trust and rapport that's been built...and started with many of them at 2 or 3 years old!

I'd say we're off to a good start. Anyone interested in helping me keep it going?

The college process: Academic readiness

College has begun for many of our young adults (see the list below). As with all college students, entering and going through college is a learning process. However, this year as I've helped kids enroll, I don't know that we can be smug and satisfied just because we have a list of kids in college.

The students I've worked with are not prepared academically. Though I believe any student going through college is better off than one who doesn't, we need to be careful that we are not setting our kids up to fail.

Probably 90% of the students I know have to take at least one remedial or "developmental" class their first year. Many of them have to take all 3 developmental classes (reading, writing, and math)...sometimes more than once until they can pass them. Developmental classes cost the same as any other college class, but provide no college credit hours on their transcript.

I've been reading a study from the Pell Institute, Raising the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students. The study supports what I've noticed:


Older students and students enrolled part time are factors that are associated with lower graduation rates.

Financial problems are often a factor, but there are also non-financial risk factors:

• being financially independent (many of our students are completely on their own for all practical purposes. They receive no financial help from their parents for any college, or other, expenses)
• delaying enrollment after high school (although this has been a motivational factor for some, as stated before, students entering college as an older student is associated with lower graduation rates)
• having inadequate academic preparation ("Students from low-income families are less likely to receive high quality K-12 education, which severely limits their college choices and financial aid opportunities. They also don't often receive the same information and encouragement to attend from families, teachers and counselors as do their more advantaged peers" pg. 8)
• having extensive family obligations (though they are in school, many of them are trying to make money to support their parents...some of whom are working at jobs that don't pay enough to make ends meet and some of whom are not working for various reasons and their children feel obligated to help them pay their bills, thus creating a system where a college student is supporting two or more people while trying to make time for their own education so they can ultimately do better financially and help their family. Unfortunately, a current, lower-paying job sometimes wins out over looking at the long-term benefits.)
• lacking experience with the college environment (which is self explanatory, but I will address the lack of experience with the financial part of college in the next blog post).

Paul Gorski in his article, The Question of Class, does a good job of addressing some of the systemic disadvantages and injustices low-income students experience, challenging our assumptions about students in poverty and the obstacles they face. Before we begin blaming the parents, he argues (and I whole-heartedly agree!), we need to address the reality of the systemic injustices in our society.

The obstacles to a student from a low-income neighborhood are huge, but not insurmountable. However, it is not fair for us to leave it up to the students and put all of the responsibility on them when we, as a society, have not done our job to prepare them. We *must* get involved and do more on the front end of their education.

Shantaye Moore--graduate school, Texas Southern University
Kieva Moore--graduate school, Stephen F. Austin
Tiffany Johnson, senior--Baylor University
Fredrick Williams, junior--Lamar University
Ashley Johnson, freshman--Langston University
Albert Ross, sophomore--El Centro College
Johnas McKinny, sophomore--El Centro College
Jessica Orogbu, junior--Texas A&M-Commerce
Keith Davis, junior--Texas A&M-Commerce
Josephine Davis, freshman
Oscar Aparicio, sophomore--University of Texas-Austin
Kimberly Aparicio, Southwestern Medical School
Veronica White, junior--University of Texas-Arlington
Steven Roberts, freshman--El Centro College
Yuridiana Salinas, freshman--El Centro College
Lewanna Hobbs, freshman--Texas A&M-Commerce
Ronyell Byers, sophomore--El Centro College
Britney Brown, sophomore--El Centro College
Terrance Johnson, junior--Texas A&M-Commerce
Yasma Campbell, junior--Texas A&M-Commerce
Bridgette Miles, junior--Texas A&M-Commerce
Erica Lopez, junior--University of North Texas
Anabeli Ibarra, junior--Eastfield College
Monica Ibarra, freshman--Eastfield College