Necessary for Life: Education + Hope + Justice

For some odd reason, I still underestimate the power of the WORLD WIDE web and Facebook. With my excitement about being able to leave 2011 behind and start a new year and new possibilities, my friend encouraged me to use my new tattoo as my Facebook profile picture. I hadn't planned on showing the world my tattoo but I put a lot of thought into my tattoo and it has a lot of personal meaning for me so I thought, "Sure! New profile pic and new meaning on life!" So I changed the profile pic, cropped it so you could only see the tattoo (and not the rest of my body) and posted it.

What Facebook doesn't tell you is that they add your cropped photo to your profile, but they also add the original (uncropped) picture to your pictures. I only had a picture of my stomach, but it's still a little more risqué and exposed than I like to be.

I started getting comments on the picture saying, "You got a tattoo???" Seriously, for some crazy reason, I guess I assumed people would think it was just a picture and not me. I started answering coyly at first and have since changed my mind. After all, if you see me in a swimsuit this summer, you'll see it anyway. If you don't, well, that was intentional. I didn't get it for you. :)

However, now that the word is out, I feel the need to explain it so you can understand it's entire meaning.

The hand: I have a piece of jewelry with this hand on it. The card that came with it explains: "This design represents the ripple effect when we touch the lives of others." I have always used the term "ripple effect." I believe we will never know the true ripple effect of the people we touch. It reminds me of It's a Wonderful Life. Take any one of us out of someone's life and their life would be completely different.

Every once in a while one of my "kids" (who are now either in college or graduated from college) will mention something like, "Yeah, I'm helping so-and-so with their college applications," or "No, I don't need any help with my financial aid, [insert former college student's name here] is helping me with that. It makes me happy beyond belief knowing that I helped the former college student with their paperwork and it only took that one little ripple for so many others to get the help they need. What's even more rewarding about this ripple effect is that my neighborhood is one where the percentage of kids going to college is much lower than average so to know how they have begun helping each other and extended beyond my reach is wonderfully satisfying to me.

The words: A while back I emailed a bunch of my friends and asked them to write three words that described me. It was a little awkward for me to ask this but I thought it would help me figure out the words I wanted on my tattoo and I value my friends so much that I thought it would be significant that they were included in creating the tattoo...even though they had no idea why they were participating in my random request. After getting many words back, I categorized them. I didn't want to write things like "stubborn," "passionate," or "writer" on me. I didn't want to label myself. Instead, I thought about the things that made me stubborn and passionate and the content of my writing. I boiled it down to Education, Justice, and Hope.

The placement: I am a brown belt in kung fu. I have learned that if a kick or punch is executed directly on the solar plexus, it disrupts the entire body...to the point of not being able to function. Thus, I placed my tattoo directly on the solar plexus. (No, it wasn't intended to create a target for any of you who might be getting any ideas!) In my mind, the center of my body is the core. Education, Justice, and Hope make up the core of my being. I truly believe if any of those three are taken out or messed with, it will completely disrupt our ability to function...personally and within our society. Eduction + Justice + Hope = Life and Life Change.

So now you know. I thought long and hard about the why behind the what. I wanted it to be meaningful and out of the ordinary. It's because of that, I know I will have absolutely no regrets. Here's to 2012!

Citizenship, Education, and Hope

I love this story. Every child deserves an opportunity. Every child...every person...deserves a reason to have hope.

The Perfect Teacher

I often get frustrated about our education system. I am bothered by what our kids are forced to learn and what they aren't learning. I hate that kids miss out on so much experiential, meaningful learning because of the multiple choice bubbles they have to learn to fill in.

Reading this essay from Larry James' grand daughter gave me so much hope. My hope is that every teacher who reads this realizes what is important and meaningful to children and what even 3rd graders recognize is important to making our world a better place.


The Perfect Teacher
By: Gracie Toombs


There are many kinds of teachers. Some tall, some small. Some Teachers just speak matter of fact like. Some teachers just Teac the way Textbooks tell them to. But the best teacher’s lessons don’t come from a textbook. Her lessons come from her heart. If you were uneasy, mad or sad—the perfect teacher comforts you. She loves each and every child for who he or she is. This year, I am one of the 21 fortunate third graders who are in her class. I like all teachers, but this year, she has stood out to me. She opened up her heart to every student in my class. She has taught us sooo much this year. Sure, she’s taught us reading and math. But that’s not the most important thing. She has taught us about protests in the middle east and the struggle in Japan and how it effects us. For black history month, she had us memorice speeches about Seggregation and Women’s rights. While the other classes were just reading from textbooks, we were there—at theose freedom marches and protests. For earth day, We helped the world by making New paper from recycled paper. We also planted sprouts, While all the other classes jus colored bookmarks. We gave water to people in Africa through The water project.com. She has taught us life skills: kindess, love, Peace, organization, and sefl esteem. But those aren’t the most important thing she did for us. She has told us to stand up to injustice, that we could be anything we wanted, and the we can change the world. But it is not us. It’s her. The other classes may say they learn more then us but you can go up to any one of them and ask them about protests in the middle east, or the struggle in Japan or about changing lives in Africa or about life skills or about standing up for what we believe in and trust me, They won’t know as much as WE do. Sometimes it only takes ONE TEACHER tho change the whole world. And that teacher is my third grade teacher MISS CORNETT.


note: All writing and spelling was typed in just as Gracie had it on her paper.

Beware of Typos!

One of my big pet peeves is seeing grammar mistakes in professional arenas...whether that's billboards, websites, books, signs, menus, etc. It makes me wonder about the quality of the organization or company behind it. Do they not have spell check? Are they not competent enough to know they missspelled? If that company is willing to put something out without checking it, should I frequent that business? It makes me question their quality and truly turns me off. One of my friends and I call it PDI (Public Display of Incompetency).

Of course, I realize it makes me more susceptible to critique as well. But, personally, I would much rather someone tell me I have a grammar error so I can correct it and learn from it...and hopefully not do it again. So, when I saw these guys going across the country correcting, it made me smile. Maybe I can get my own correction kit the next time they're in town selling their book.

April Showers bring May Flowers

I absolutely love going to our After-School Academy! Every time I enter, I get formal handshakes and greetings asking me how my day has been...and then hugs and little ones telling me how much they missed me. It can't get better than that, can it?

Last week when I was making a "drive by" (as our After-School Coordinator likes to call it) to pick up something on my way to the next meeting, I jumped out so I could get a quick dose of hugs. While getting a few hugs, Ms. Shaina's class came out the door for their playground time. When they saw me, they immediately asked, "Miss Janet! Can we sing you our song???" After an impromptu version outside, I had to get the video camera. That's when Ms. Shaina insisted they do it inside their decorated room with their props. They make my day! :)

Teachers

Thanks to Carrie for posting this in her comment...and thanks to all of the teachers out there who do these things on a daily basis.

Changes at CitySquare in the Roseland Community

Fun times with new, lasting friends

We have and are going through some changes at CitySquare. Due to different funding constraints, along with figuring out the best way to move forward at CitySquare, I am sad to say that we will no longer have an Education Department, which also means that after school programming as it currently exists will be different as well.

Field trip to Texas Discovery Gardens

On May 20, 2011, the educational programming in the Roseland will come to a close. As many of you know, this has been my heart and soul for the last 13-15 years. My heart and passion for the kids will continue. The great thing about building long-term relationships with people is that they don't end...even when there are gaps in between the times we talk and see each other. I know I will continue to stay in contact with many and will probably end up running into some when I least expect it.

Though we were never really able to get the funding we needed to take the education programs to the level I would have liked, I am continuously surprised and humbled by the responses I get from kids (who are now older) that spent time in the program as well as tangential people who I never realized were so impacted by the program.

After I sent out an email to several friends, former volunteers, staff, etc, I received this response:

Thank you for the summer, Ms. Janet. My time with the [After School Academy] forever changed the way I look at things, how I think about life. Thank you for not giving up on some white country boy who had no idea what he was doing (still has no idea what he's doing, but he manages). The support from you and Danielle and the other teachers was just mind boggling, and I'll never forget any of it. I pray for the kids everyday and I hope they are growing in leaps and bounds. If you see them around tell them Mr. Chris hasn't forgot about them and that he's thinking of them.

Tasting new fruits and veggies

I met with a former staff member yesterday who was truly upset about the program going away because of how much she learned from being a part of it. As we talked, we discussed how the education program was always focused solely on the kids. I was always very adamant about the program being completely about the kids and pushed the staff to make their programming great. I didn't ever want the staff to think it was about them. I didn't want them to sit back while one of our kids fell through the cracks. But what I always knew was that our program was very much about the staff. The effects of the program had a dual effect.

Creating "wind turbines"

I received a very upset text message from a parent once she heard and, as I explained over text, she asked, "Is there something we could've done differently?" and when I explained to her that we were hoping to get a different organization to take our place she asked, "So is [the next group] gonna be the same as you do? I really need you guys."


Though we're all struggling with this decisions, what I've learned happens is what I call the "ripple effect." Over the last 15 years, there is no telling how many kids, teens, and adults have been involved in our education programs. Hundreds...maybe even close to a thousand. Some have stuck around longer than others. Some have been volunteers, some staff, and some participants. Because I stay in contact...or come back in contact...with many of them, I hear different stories about how they have continued their life as influenced by the program.

Of course, these "ripple effects" are extremely hard to track and really have no way of being put into an outcomes sheet that makes it fundable. As people have gone on, they may have moved to a different part of Dallas or even a different city or state. Yet I have talked to many of them who have gone on to work in or with non-profit organizations, major in education, work with kids, or just interact with their neighbors using ways and methods and structure that they learned within our Education Department. As they take this to Houston, Commerce, Fayetteville...as they transfer their knowledge of kids and families into the jobs where they work, etc...as they challenge their new employers to expect more of the kids...they influence a whole new set of kids.

Our weekly farm stand: low cost fresh produce

Though I am sad that our era of working solely and directly with kids is ending, I have a great peace about me knowing that what we did continues way beyond May 20, 2011. The Education Department will not end. It will continue. It will continue through the work and the relationships of Chris, Gary, Jessica, Rachel, Tiffany, Tameshia, Terrence, Danielle, Katrina, Deshaumbra, and so many others. That makes me happy. That makes me proud.

I will let you know what I will be doing in the next post.

Middle Schoolers Use Critical Thinking Skills

I do believe watching problem solving in action is one of the most exciting parts of being an educator.

Design Squad is a science and engineering curriculum created by PBS for middle schoolers. Some of the concepts are pretty complicated and I'm not sure that the kids grasp everything just yet, but I think challenging them to think through it and see what they can do is fun to watch.

(for the other educators out there who might be interested, go to the link. Design Squad has just redesigned their website. It has great complimentary online activities for the kids)

Kirk Franklin Visits Roseland

Let me admit something. I'm not big on celebrities. My goal is education for children. Oftentimes, I think celebrities detract from that. Most of the ones I've met made empty promises (that they never kept) and the events seemed to be more about them than it was about the kids/families who were there.

So, when we were told to gather people to cheer for Kirk Franklin when he arrived, I must admit, I didn't have a great attitude. I didn't see the purpose. Kirk Franklin gets to hear cheering every time he walks on stage.

As often happens in my life, I had to eat my words (and, trust me, I have enough friends in my life who relish in making sure that happens). Yes, there was cheering when Kirk Franklin got out of his car. But he didn't walk but a few steps before he starting humbly greeting each person he saw.

He then sat down to listen to us. Yes, I said listen. Though he did talk, it was more of reflective comments based on what we just said. He then stayed for another hour or more touring our After-School Academy, Discovery Garden, Head Start, Teen U, Library (the Freedom Room), and Connect U. He listened. He talked. He reflected. He hugged. He did interviews.

He was supposed to leave at 11:00 sharp! ...but, instead, he left around 11:30. He's the only performer I know who has toured our programs before performing at our A Night to Remember. He challenged my stereotype by being entirely genuine and real.

Come out on Monday, October 25 to the Meyerson to see him perform.

After-School programs...a day in the life

Yesterday our Americorps representative came by to check in our members. As I toured her around, I had to quickly grab the Flip to capture some great moments. Check out what the youth in our programs are doing...



...and then feel free to contact us for a tour! :)

"We have met the enemy...and he is us"

I truly want this quote to not be true. I want to believe that our poor education system is not the fault of those of us who work diligently with our children every day, but over the last week or two, I am beginning to wonder.

Waiting for Superman has stirred up all kinds of conversations around our educational system. The film has shown people that not all families and children have the same opportunities. It talks about the desperation of parents as they hope and pray that their child is chosen to attend a school that can offer their child a quality education. It speaks of and shows good classrooms and teachers, but it also recognizes that there are teachers and school systems who are failing our kids. The film talks a lot about charter schools that have done well, like KIPP Academy and Harlem Success Prep...schools that recognized children were failing and faltering and did something huge and immediate.

Yet, after the film was released...after Oprah did her segment...and after NBC has created the conversation about Education Nation, Twitter blew up each time with teachers screaming, "We're under attack!!"

First of all, no where has it said that all teachers are terrible. No where have I heard anyone say that a teacher's job isn't challenging. My conclusion is that these teachers who are screaming so loudly have never set foot in the schools I have been a part of...and I would bet money that they wouldn't put their child in a school like some of the ones I've been in. However, if they have been in those schools and still feel like defending all teachers, then yes, I think they should go, too.

I have never been a classroom teacher. I have after school programs. And just from the small number of kids with many different learning levels and different behavior needs, I truly respect a teacher who can engage the diversity of 25 students. I have seen teachers who do it. Some who win their kids over with kindness and some who show very tough love. They build relationships with the kids and their parents. They respect the kids and they respect the art of teaching. They go home every day and tirelessly work often until 10:00 at night grading papers, writing lesson plans, and trying to squeeze in some time to read about new ideas that can help them teach better. They have a love for the kids in their classroom and a desire to see all kids succeed. They deserve the highest honor and they are not compensated or acknowledged near enough...and no, the conversation shouldn't be that they should put more effort in. They are already doing that.

But we have to be real. The "bad" teachers create difficulties for the teachers who work so hard. Studies talk about kids who have three "bad" teacher are at a huge disadvantage. So after a few teachers haven't done a good job, the other teachers have to work even harder to pick up the slack. How is that an effective system??

So, what defines a "bad" teacher?

When I first started in the education side of our non-profit, I had (and took) a lot of time to volunteer in the schools so I would know how things worked. I spent many hours in a day at one school. I was there so often, I became a part of the school culture. No one changed their behavior because I walked through the hall. The little room where I tutored kids was a storage area behind a chain link fence in a little "loft" so I was able to hear what went on in other classrooms.

• 4th grade classroom teacher-- "Stupid! If you were smart enough to bring your glasses, you would be able to see the board! Yes, move up here to the front so maybe you won't be so dumb."
• 6th grade male teacher-- didn't speak Spanish, but had a classroom of bilingual students. Three boys made his life very difficult. They saw his trigger buttons and pushed...in Spanish. After bursting out in a tirade (which I could hear from my area), he sometimes pushed them as if he were instigating a fight with them. I'm not sure why they never broke out into a punching match with him
• 3rd grade teacher--talked on her cell phone during class. When a child didn't do well on their test or misbehaved, she called the child to the front of the class and called the parent in the middle of the classroom asking the parent to talk to her child about this or that behavior and handed the phone to the child in front of his/her peers
• 2nd grade teacher--punished a child by making her sit beneath her desk for a couple of days. When parents got involved, the principal explained they really couldn't do anything. When I questioned the principal, she explained that it takes about 3 years to fire a teacher. (and that's *if* there's really good documentation)
• pre-K teacher--as I sat in the hall waiting to tutor my next kindergartener, the pre-K class walked by in their straight line. They stopped in front of me to wait for their door to be opened by the teacher. Though I'm not sure what the little boy did, the teacher began slapping him back and forth on his shoulder in a flurry. When I took the information to the principal, his response: "Well, I've never had a complaint about her before and I've worked with her for 10 years." As far as I know, she was never even reprimanded.
• 1st grade teacher--said her job was only from 7:00-3:00 and the principal was making her do more than she could get done. If they were going to do that, she was going to take it out of the time of her classroom. So, she sat at her desk grading papers while giving the kids busy-work to do during their "instructional" time. Sometimes, she would have me, a volunteer, work with small groups of kids so she could record grades or grade papers. She always left right at 3:00.

The first four scenarios were in one school during one school year. The last two scenarios were at another school during a different school year. I could give other examples...like the principal at a high school who tried to "let go" two teachers, one who was ineffective and one who was sleeping in the classroom, only to be told that the administrative office lost the paperwork so he had no documentation...and then the teachers sued for their jobs and are still working. I have others as well...but they are all second hand stories told to me by other teachers. Since they are not my personal experience, I won't bother sharing those.

I know the teachers have challenges. Even some of the scenarios I provided show that. However, it is our children who suffer.

Let's stop complaining about, "Teachers are being attacked," and, instead, talk about the real problems...getting resources...accessing technology...being forced to teach to the test instead of exposing kids to learning and thinking...school systems that are too big...principals who can't or don't fire bad teachers...

Everyone is talking about privatization of schools and how that will destroy our schools. Though I do have some concerns about that, my question is, "Really?! Can it get any worse than 60% dropout rate?? Can we do any worse by our kids when many of them are graduating from high school with 2nd grade reading levels??" I don't know that Bill Gates, Cory Booker, Geoffrey Canada, and Mark Zuckerberg have all of the answers, but I'm willing to listen if they want to create the dialogue...and they have more pull than teachers to get things done (I know we don't want to hear it and it's not fair, but it's true).

The thing is, I've been in the inner city for 15 years. I have watched a generation of children get lost in a system that doesn't work. We don't have time for "with all deliberate speed..." I think we've ALL been waiting for superman...and at least some of us are waking up and figuring out that he isn't coming. We can't keep hoping and waiting for our school system to change. The kids and families in my community deserve better schools NOW. So what are we going to do?

I'm ready for the conversation. I'm ready for the battle. I'll fight for good teachers. I'm happy to look at quality public schools and quality charter schools (which *are* public, by the way) and let's figure out what is working. Let's figure out how the successful schools that are serving poor and minority children are doing it...because there are some that are. Let's do whatever it takes to create those same qualities--money, teachers, legislation, etc. in all schools.

Are you in??

CDM hosts Waiting for Superman screening

Click on the photo below to be able to read the invitation and go here (www.surveymonkey.com/s/wfs10710) to reserve your ticket.

Waiting for Superman...and believing in change

On Thursday, October 7, the Central Dallas Ministries public policy department will co-sponsor a showing of the Waiting for Superman documentary. Though we made the decision before all of the controversy, there is now a firestorm of strong opinions thrusting themselves into the media on both sides. It seems there really are no lukewarm voices.

I'll publicly admit that I was one of the major advocates pushing our public policy committee to show the film...and I am still strongly in favor of showing the film. I watched the Oprah segment and I must say, I was very impressed. No, she didn't have teachers on her panel...but she also didn't have parents. What she did have was socially conscious voices who are concerned about our children. See the film below:



What I truly appreciate is Guggenheim's willingness to recognize that he takes his own children past all of other other schools to ensure they receive a quality education. Because he can. And he recognizes that ALL children deserve the same quality of education that he is able to give his own children. His film forces us all to acknowledge that our education system is not fair and opportunistic for every child (believe it or not, some people don't know that)...and we need to change that.

I have read arguments that the cost of schools like Harlem Children's Zone and KIPP and other charters are exorbitant and not sustainable over time. To that I would say, if there is success there and that is what it takes, then we need to figure out how to make it sustainable! Why should we provide mediocre or less than mediocre education to all children because that's all we can (or are willing) to do??

I am not advocating for firing good teachers who have a bad day or two along the way. That doesn't make any sense...and I don't believe that is Michelle Rhee's purpose or mission either. I have taught teachers at the graduate level. I have had some plead with me not to "give" them a "C" because they've never received lower than an "A" (yet their final paper is filled with grammatical errors and shallow thoughts). In our After-School Academy, I have seen spelling lists our kids are supposed to practice laden with mis-spelled words...and I have challenged the school for the sake of the children in her class. I have seen teacher's "give" an 11th grade student a perfect 100% on a research paper that could have been written better by a 3rd grader. I am not saying that good teachers should be fired. I understand that we all start off at a place and continuously learn and improve. What I AM saying is that some people are not academically ready to be teachers and some teachers lower their expectations to the extent that it hurts our children. I do not want those teachers teaching my child.

I understand that the next thing a teacher will say to me is, "But the parents have to play a role." I completely agree. And I think we have to work on that as well. But I also understand that some parents do not have the academic background needed to help their children. I know parents who put their faith and trust in teachers and schools because they feel those are the people who have what they can't offer. No matter what a parent does or doesn't do does not justify a teacher to enter a classroom if they are inadequately trained or have lowered expectations of our children.

Believe me, I do understand this is NOT all teachers! For those who have entered the education field because they truly believe that children deserve the highest opportunity to succeed and are working 10-12 hour days making sure their students have new, innovative opportunities to learn and grow, THANK YOU! Keep pressing on...and I believe you do deserve a break and deserve to be compensated and you shouldn't be expected to be super-human just because you have chosen to enter a field that is often valued less than it should be.

Fifteen years ago, when the charter school movement had just gotten started here in Texas, I thought about starting my own charter school. After toying with the idea for a little while, I couldn't bring myself to pursue the idea. I grew up in public school and I believe in the concept. I wanted to do what I could do help make public schools better. I still do. However, in the meantime, too many of my kids are falling through the cracks. The large majority of my kids who go off to college have to take remedial/developmental classes. When I assess a pretty bright 11th grader and find out she is at a 2nd grade reading level, my heart drops. I believe in public education, but something has got to change...FAST.

"With all deliberate speed..." in 1954 comes to mind. This isn't a new problem and nothing seems to be changing in a way that seems to be closing the gap for so many children and families who want to see a better life but are stuck in school systems that are overburdened systems too difficult to change.

Yes, charter schools probably attract more parents who take the initiative to get their children in. People with money have been leaving public schools for years. Poor parents who want something better for their children deserve that same opportunity...and make that quality available for everyone! And I would argue that even "unengaged" parents are being engaged when they are standing up to say, "My child deserves better!"

To me, opening this discussion may be exactly what we need to challenge everyone to start thinking about our children and working toward dramatic changes to an agrarian public school system that desperately needs dramatic changes.

Photographic memories of "At-risk" youth

Ahhh...finally a little down time this week. The summer program is over and we are ramping up for our After-School programs. No light task, but it does allow for a slight reprieve.

To allow me to procrastinate the planning I need to do for the Education Department training week and ensure I'll be working under a tight deadline for no reason, I decided to change offices. It's a bigger office with more windows and more wall space. I can get all of the papers off of the floor and organize a little better.

As with all moving jobs, it allowed me to sift through stuff, throwing away the pointless, old stuff and discovering treasures I had forgotten about long ago. Some of the treasures were photos I'd enlarged or printed on regular paper and stashed away until I could find frames or reasons to use them. Now is that time.

After a few days of cleaning, sifting, and moving furniture, I began to hang photos. I found some frames that had been donated...but others were hung simply with "tacky" directly on the wall. Once I completed the move and had all of the photos hung, I looked around and realized the framing definitely gave it a little "umph," but it wasn't the frames that I was going for when I printed the pictures. It's the meaning behind each one.

As I look around my office, I see...

• a high school graduation picture
• two young girls playing and grinning from ear to ear
• a little boy dressed in a clown suit 
• friends and cousins jumbled together for a photo op
• elementary girls helping each other by explaining the homework assignment
• a little boy on Santa's lap
• a "cool" teenager posing for a picture
• boys playing bingo
• a group of teenagers that are unlikely friends, but bonded because of they all live in the same housing development
• a hand-drawn picture that says, "God made us equal. And his love too."

But, I also see...

• a young boy who dropped out of high school, had a baby, and is now married but still has no desire to finish school
• a young boy who wants to go to college now, at 19, but is struggling because he made a decision to drop out of a college class and now has to pay financial aid back before he can enroll
• a couple of kids who, despite their best efforts, are quite a challenge to handle when it comes to behavior issues
• a boy who never wanted to be associated as living in the "projects" and always saw himself as better than the rest of the people there
• a little girl who has grown into a young teenager with college aspirations
• a girl who was prostituted by her mother so she could buy drugs
• a young man who was shot and killed at 21 years of age as he sat at a bus stop
• a college student in her honors program who will probably finish college in 3 1/2 years
• kids who now frequent the library/bookstore
• a little girl who has a very loving grandfather raising her because her mother can't

Each of these pictures...and the stories behind them...remind me of why I exhaust myself at times by over-committing to projects, demanding high expectations from my staff and the kids they work with, looking at school work, accepting weekend phone calls from college students, assisting with college paperwork I know nothing about, and trying to be a good balance of love and accountability. I realize that I have been blessed with college degrees, the ability to connect with people, and resources. Though I do not believe that our works save us, I also realize that not using what I've been given is a waste of what God has provided me.

I love that I can now sit at my desk and reflect on each of these moments that I've been a part of over the years. Each of the youth in the pictures are extremely special to me.

The more devastating situations make me realize how far we have to go....

...and the celebratory ones make me realize how much is possible.

The value of a teacher--$320,000

Those of us who take jobs as teachers, educators, and social workers know what we're getting into when we sign up for the degree and the job. We sign on to higher salaries than people without an education, but lower than most degreed people make. But, for the most part, making the big bucks is not our intent.

In fact, the longer I'm in education, the more my job becomes a day-by-day battle to ensure children are receiving the best education possible with the resources we are given and the systems we are working against.

I've often said to people that it amazes me how quick we are to slash an education budget. I wonder who the highly paid people slashing or voting for slashing public education budgets think they received their intellectual abilities from and if they realize they probably wouldn't be in the place they are without a teacher and a school system that pretty much raised them.

I was delighted when I read a New York Times report on The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers and how an economist has actually been able to put a dollar value on how much a kindergarten teacher is worth. Though I don't anticipate this knowledge being put into practice any time soon, it is good to know that at least someone out there is quantifying the actual monetary value of what a good teacher does for a child and how it lasts for the rest of their lifetime.

Welcome back to work, teachers. You are extremely important...to the children you teach AND to the rest of society!

ASA Learning Garden needs a Pepsi Refresh Grant!

For the last year, we have partnered with The Gleaning Network of Texas to create an After-School Academy Learning Garden. We started the garden after receiving approval from the Dallas Housing Authority to use a fenced in plot of land behind the After-School Academy. We were given approval in June of last year. If you know anything about Texas soil, you know June is not the smartest month to start a garden. But, with the perseverance of Susie Marshall, Executive Director of The Gleaning Network, the garden was under way.

It has taken some time for the kids to get used to the garden. But they have taken ownership of the garden and often beg to go water, dig, look at the worms, or "cook" the compost. You can see the progression of their garden experiences here: http://ourasafamily.blogspot.com/search?q=garden

Here is a past article written on my blog: Education and Focus through the Community Garden

The Gleaning Network has provided their services free gratis for the last year. It takes a lot of time, effort, and research to continue the garden...and we couldn't continue it without their help. (trust me...if you saw my garden at my house, you would understand)

So...please vote for us!! You can vote for other projects as well. You get 10 votes a day. You can use one to also vote for The Gleaning Network. Please vote for us every day! Here is our link:

http://www.refresheverything.com/asagarden

Pass it on!!

Becoming young entrepreneurs

Every day I find out a new cool thing going on in one of our Education Department programs. 

Our theme for our After-School Academy (ASA) this summer is Environment. The teachers have done absolutely amazing things with the kids. The last time I walked into the ASA, I wondered aloud why there were a series of about six 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper stuck to the low ceiling. I was quickly told that the papers were the kids' effort (guided by Mr. Chris) to Google map Dallas to China so they could begin to understand their ecological footprint.

Another one of our teachers, Ms. Danielle, is working on teaching the kids about nutrition, healthy eating, and gardening. She's done some cooking classes with the kids that are combined with literature, nutrition, and the different academic skills that go along with the cooking. The ASA has also started a walking club that involves families in the program. They are even working with our own Dr. Rhonda (pediatrician) to measure their BMI and such to start seeing improvement as the summer progresses.

So, when the farm stands started this week, it folded in wonderfully with our theme and the teachers' lessons. Danielle Evans (different from Ms. Danielle the teacher) has gotten community members involved to oversee the farm stand every Wednesday from 9:00-3:00. Plans are in the works for our Mid-Teen University boys to begin working with the police department on a service project that would take orders from the seniors in the Roseland Gardens high rise and then deliver their produce on Wednesdays. 

Since we are about education, learning, and knowledge...and since we have a theory that part of the reason people in low-income communities don't eat as many fruits and veggies because of lack of access and/or low-quality and high price in the stores, it was very exciting to me to hear that the kids and teens from our different education programs pulled their quarters together to go buy a bag of 4 apples for $1 so they could have a snack for later in the day. (knowing this is leading us to make plans to have the farm stand later in the day once the school year starts so kids can buy healthier snacks once school lets out).

Finally, it was very exciting to me to walk into the building after lunch on Thursday to see Mr. Chris's class with printouts of fruits and veggies on the tables. I love that Mr. Chris took the idea of the farm stand and created a simulation for the kids to learn how to operate the farm stands (which will lead us to our next project of getting the kids to run their own business and operate the farm stands themselves). You can hear them all discussing how the farm stands work, giving me the pitch to sell their fruit and veggies, and learning ways to make extra money.

Our ASA this summer absolutely amazes me every time I visit. Thanks, crew!

Rappin' and Writin'

Every once in a while I get on a kick to write. One of my goals is to write a book, but I can never seem to get out what I want to say. Even as I try to compose this and other blog posts, I get stuck. I can talk all day long, but when I try to put it on paper, I feel the need to be more formal and to make sure it is written well for you, the reader...and then I get stuck.

Today was one of those writing days. A few days ago I was inspired and figure out what I wanted to say (at least for the moment), so I started writing. I've been trying to work on it each day since. This afternoon, I was kind of stumped. I thought fresh air might give me some inspiration. So, I took my computer, set my camping chair up on my front porch and hoped the nice weather would get my juices flowing.

As s I sat, staring at the screen more than watching my fingers move and compose anything, my neighbor's grandson walked by (he's about 23 years old). He's always really sweet and says hi or waves as I come and go from my house. If I'm outside or walking to my mailbox, I always try to say something chit-chatty just to be friendly or to joke around with he and his cousins and friends. Today, when he walked by my house to go to the store I asked where his "peeps" were (he's usually walking with a group of cousins and friends). He just laughed at my attempt at slang (Don't worry, I don't use the word "peeps" in every day language...only when I'm trying to get a laugh out of the kids). On his way back, I guess he was returning the chit-chat favor. He saw the computer on my lap and asked if I was surfing the internet. I told him what I was really trying to do was write, but it wasn't working very well.

In my mind, I was really working on something...or trying to. I expected him to just nod and keep walking. Instead, he completely identified with me. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Just like when I'm working on my songs." It took me by surprise as I realized what he was talking about. When he's not working at his day job, he and his friends often perform their rap music at a club. I don't know why, but though I knew they wrote their own lyrics, it just never dawned on me that they have to utilize the same thought process I do when I write.

His comment launched us into a 10 minute discussion and commiserating session on how challenging writing can be and how great it feels when the "flow" is there. We talked about sitting, staring at the page trying to figure out what to say and how much easier it is to "freestyle" (for him) and talk (for me) than it is to actually get those thoughts down on paper. It was an amazing and rich conversation.

It reminds me of a blog post I wrote a few months ago, "Skills of a Thief." I think a lot of times we overlook the skills that the kids use when doing things that we don't necessarily agree with. Maybe if we looked past the act that we scrutinize and ban from our presence and looked more at the skills they utilize when reaching for their dreams, we would be able to affirm and tap into the knowledge our kids already possess. And, who knows, maybe if we affirmed those skills and utilized them in our lessons, the rap songs they create might have a deeper message and the "licks" they hit (in Skills of a Thief) might end up being challenging business ventures.

Irregardless, our kids deal with so much discouragement and assumptions that they don't possess skills that kids in other schools or other neighborhoods do. As an educator, it's my responsibility to help them see how much knowledge they actually possess...and then help them figure out how to channel that knowledge into something productive.

SMU...Here he comes!

I was sitting in our Parent Academy when Tameshia came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and said she needed to talk to me. Thinking the worst, I  walked to the back with her. Once we got to the back, she explained to me, "Michael just got a $200,000 scholarship!"

I was speechless! $200,000...to SMU! Oh my goodness!

I first met Michael a few years ago when the great people at Education is Freedom provided us with a summer intern. Michael helped us get things organized that summer. Michael attends North Dallas High School. This year, when we started our Digital Connectors program out of Roseland, we recruited from North Dallas. Though we hadn't seen Michael in a couple of years, he remembered us and was one of the first people to sign up.

Though we can't take credit for all of Michael's hard work and persistence in being involved in many different programs and writing and following through on college applications and such, we can say that Michael will be more prepared technologically when he finishes Digital Connectors in May.

By May, Michael will be equipped with a Cisco IT Essentials certification that will provide him with the skills and knowledge of rebuilding computers from scratch. He will know how to create a mobile app. He will have completed a leadership skills module as well as a financial literacy module...all of which will be extremely important in college--especially at such a competitive school like SMU...and especially as an engineering major!

When Tameshia told me, I immediately went downstairs to congratulate him and do a quick interview. He reads this blog so help me in congratulating him on his amazing achievement of receiving one of only four Dedman Scholarships offered each year at SMU!



CONGRATS & WAY TO GO, MICHAEL!!!

Turning the tables

Last Thursday, WFAA (Channel 8) came out to visit the After School Academy and video a piece that will air on their After the Bell segment. As was expected, we prepared for their visit and chose two of the kids in the Jr. Reporters program and Shawn Williams, President and founder of Dallas South News (also the founder of our Jr. Reporters program) to speak to Chris Flanagan, the reporter for the event.

However, before they left, our Jr. Reporters turned the tables on them. Ishmael asked to sit down with Chris in order to conduct his own interview. You can see the preview of the segment in the video above.

Watch the entire segment tomorrow morning at 6:20 a.m. on WFAA Channel 8.

We found out yesterday that Channel 8 liked the segment so much, they put it at the end of their "sweeps" period (for those of you who are journalists, I'm assuming you know what that means. For those of us who aren't, I've been told it's a really good thing! :) )

Tune in tomorrow!!