Entry #24: "Can there be too many programs
for
the available resources to adequately support?"
Corpus Christi, Texas -- My head is spinning. You would
think that after seven months of this, I'd be used to being overwhelmed
in a new school district. Gosh, we've been in large districts (Orlando),
small districts (Okabena-Heron Lake), and everything in between -- always
with the task of getting oriented to what's going on with parent involvement
and community collaboration.
But there is almost as much going on here as there is in all the other places
put together.
With the help of my key contact person, Georg "G" Johnson, this
week has been exhausting. "G," as most people call him, is the
district consultant for parent involvement. By the time he was done with
me this week, I had been all over the city and met more people than I can
remember. And there are many things I have left to do after the district's
spring break.
In between the visits around the Corpus Christi Independent School District,
I have spent time at Driscoll Middle School as well, wanting to experience
some of what my wife found last week. In trying to write this diary, I usually
make a list of the experiences and activities for the week, highlighting
items that I think are most important to share.
You should see the list this week!
If I included it here, I would exceed the allotted space that MiddleWeb
has graciously given me. So, the task instead is to compile the findings
and come to some conclusions.
According to one principal I met, Dr. Julia Hankins from Elliott Grant Middle
School, much of the activity in this district grows from Texas' push for
parental involvement. It seems that in 1995, Senate Bill 1 told districts
and constituents to "start working with each other." But here,
that was already happening, with programs like the City Council of PTAs,
the federally funded Communities in Schools and the site-based decisionmaking
(PDM) teams which include community members.
True, many of the district's programs are newer, such as the 21st Century
Learning Centers which provide after-school and Saturday morning opportunities,
and "Project Smart," a federally funded workforce program for
the highest "at-risk" students that teaches life and work skills
while paying students to attend. Whatever their timing, it seems clear that
this myriad of opportunities the district and community offer are a result
of a mutual concern for youth, and the difficult condition of many families
in the area. In several of the schools, there are many kids who fit the
"at-risk" criteria. At Driscoll, for example, 89 percent fall
into that category. The majority receive free/reduced lunch, come from single-parent
families, and frequently have family members who are incarcerated.
These kids and families need help. Parenting skills are poor, and collaboration
with the schools can be difficult. But I can't help but wonder if the sheer
number of programs offered here has a negative effect on quality. Can there
be too many programs for the available resources to adequately support?
And if so, should a community concentrate those resources and focus on doing
a few things very well?
The phrase "keep it simple, stupid" (KISS) comes to mind, especially
because the event with the most impact on me and my family was simple and
required little in the way of resources or personnel. The School District,
the Public Health Dept, Planned Parenthood, and the Museum of Science and
History co-sponsored a photo exhibition called "Children of Children."
A photographer from San Antonio named Michael Nye has put together 50 photos
of teenage parents with accompanying audio narration of their stories.
Talk about impact.
My 12 -and 14-year old boys only left the exhibit because they had to. These
incredible stories of tragedy and challenge caught all of us by surprise.
The simple but powerful message: Don't take on adult responsibilities too
soon.
"G" told me that all 8th graders in the district will have visited
the exhibit by the end of the month. The museum is one partner that we often
overlook, but it can have tremendous results as it did with our family.
Sometimes we run around coming up with what we think is the best program
only to find that more was accomplished by something simpler and easier.
I need to remember this as well.
Darrell
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