SWCC Education Community Meeting

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

SW Community Center

275 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

Focus:  School #16

In Attendance:   David Atias (Coalition for Justice in Education), John Boutet (19WCA Resident, SWCC Communications Committee Co-Chair, Location19 Administrator), Eleanor Coleman (SWAN Staff, SWCC Communications Committee Co-Chair), DeWain Feller (Resident, 19WCA President), Kathy King (School #16 Volunteer), Tim Louis Macaluso (Education Reporter, City Newspaper), Betsy Romson (19WCA Resident), James Swank (Location19), Diane Watkins (19WCA Resident, 19WCA 2^nd VP, RCSD Teacher), E. Jamall Watkins, (19WCA Resident)

Note:  To contact any City School District employee:  firstname.lastname@rcsdk12.org

Diane distributed an updated SW Education Committee “To Do List” and asked that folks identify topics for which they have a passion and can commit to addressing.  (attached)

Commitments:

James Swank – Technology & other means… (Bullet 5); Camelia Mossgraber (on Location19)

Betsy Romson – Redesign the playground and field; Recreational facilities -expand gym and pool (Diane will send contact info)

SW Education Forum members had an opportunity to meet with Candice Lucas, the parent representative on FMP (Facilities Master Plan) Committee.  Following is an update from Candice:

“At this time, no decisions have been made about school 16 or 44. They are not set to close.

An assessment will be made about all schools in the district based on a number of factors: safety of the building, suitability for instruction, suitability for community use, cost to renovate vs replace, etc. Multiple options for moving forward will be presented. This is the report that will be presented to the superintendent on 9/15. 

The superintendent will have the opportunity to question and inform the report. The report will also be brought to the community before any steps are taken. 

Our next meeting is 9/10 where we will review the draft report.”

Draft Report will have multiple options from which Superintendent will make his choices. 

Expectation:  The SW Education Forum is asking that we be able to see what the options forwarded to the Superintendent are as opposed to only hearing which one(s) the Superintendent ultimately chooses.

Question:  Who is actually doing the “walk-through” assessments and can we interact with them?

Background on FMP Funds;  $325 million State Education Department funds; planned as a 15-yr, 1.2 billion program.  While legislation has been passed for Phase 1, there is to date no legislation signed for Phases 2 and 3.  Manny Rivera was the first Superintendent to work on this initiative.  Currently School #16 is not on the Phase I list for the FMP funds.

Orientation at Freddie Thomas

• Very well attended by parents and staff
• Diane has made contact with families that do live in the neighborhood and are willing to become involved; John has talked with parents about Location19 and joining the 19^th Ward Community Association so that we build School 16 parent participation in 19WCA for a School Committee.

Why not the K-8 Model?

• K-3 graders are learning to read
• 4-6 graders are beginning to read to learn
• 7^th & 8^th graders are continuing to “read to learn” yet need a completely separate tier of teachers who require a different level of certification; higher grade teachers (7^th & 8^th) cannot provide assistance to lower level teachers.

Manny Rivera – disengagement happens around 7^th grade; less of a problem if younger students stayed in a more nurturing environment (avoid a 7-12).

Other Concerns:

• Social/emotional challenges and unresolved/unaddressed trauma have increased for even younger ages; ISS rooms in elementary schools have significant number of youth in them in lower grade levels.
• Lack of mental health resources; must take care of the psycho-social needs of the children before expecting them to learn.
• First cuts are generally the counselors; social workers work with Special Education students - District is mandated to have them.    
• Training of counselors needs to be different; need mental health counseling; stop using counselors to do the scheduling, which a clerk can do.  Developmentally, middle school aged youth need supportive environment that works with social-emotional issues.
• Need a safety factor instituted in regards to State testing, especially at 3^rd and 4^th grade; ineffective to have older grade issues that disrupt the testing flow for younger students.
• Track record of RCSD ignoring community/parent/staff (School-Based Planning Team) input:

• WFA/SWAN School-Based Planning Team was asked to decide on the preferred model for WFA going forward; many hours were spent researching and designing models (6/7/8, 7/8, 7/8/9, etc.); no group chose K-8 yet that was the model that was forced on the school building.
• Building was built to accommodate middle-school age youth; newest building in the SouthWest.
• Now they are spending significant funds retro-fitting classrooms, toilets, etc.; have eliminated music and technology space (music space was used regularly inter-generational community band).
• We have more than enough elementary schools in the SouthWest; we do not have enough middle or high schools.

E.J. Watkins provided some background information on New Futures (mini Children’s Zone) and the “Developmental Corridor” - K-6, Middle School, High School all in one geographic area.  Different tasks that must be accomplished at each level; finish one task before moving to the next task.  Provide a supportive environment for helping youth move to the next developmental level.  (E.J. Watkins presented this concept proposed several years ago)

Diane asked about expansion of Grow Green programming into other schools, like School #16.  Eleanor noted that the greenhouse is designed to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) principles and provides the community with various options for growing produce (Grow Boxes, hydroponics, straw bale, raised beds, etc.).  A greater focus for the Grow Green program is building relationships with community members that result in getting them to grow their own food and eat healthier.  The greenhouse can be used as a field trip and a local, free resource for enhancing curriculum, engaging parents, promoting urban agriculture, etc. 

Eleanor noted that even with the pool at the SW Community Center location, there is still a need for additional swimming resources to meet community demand.

Suggestion:  For future School #16 parent meetings, Open Houses, etc. - have info about Location19 and applications to join the 19^th Ward Neighborhood Association.

DECISION:  Primary input for the 9/15 meeting is that we want School #16 to reopen as a K-6.  The issues on the “to do” list are the ongoing tasks to be accomplished in order to provide youth with a quality educational experience that should be available to all city youth. 

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 Updated SW Education Committee “To Do List” 8/26/12

What we agree on:

• #16 School will remain open after renovations are complete.
• All energies need to be focused on helping children reach their full potential; including high academic achievement.
• School will have wrap around services such as: Health & Wellness including mental health, housing services, recreation and tutoring services.
• We (Community) will survey residents about their relationship with school #16 in collaboration with neighborhood students. (Team: John Lightfoot, Mary Adams, Nancy Ares) Sample Question: Why are parents sending/or not sending their children to #16?
• Use technology and other means to improve communication between the school, community and parents.
• Full service Cafeteria
• Coordinated volunteer activities & tutoring services
• If the school MUST have 7^th & 9^th graders, transfers into 16 at these grade levels should be limited.
• Expand gym and add pool and swim lessons
• Redesign playground and field to clear the field of vision for better supervision of children.
• Bussing kept to a bare minimum.
• The community should have access to the facility during evenings and some weekends without additional cost or major opposition from school staff.
• Afterschool recreation activities for pre-teens (recording studio, building things, movie night teen night, musical instrumental performances, drama, chess)
• Active parent and school governance boards with community engagement.
• Community members attend school events such as open house to encourage membership & community involvement.
• Continue to encourage more community members, especially parents to become involved in education in the SW and support their continued involvement.
• Reconfigure parking lot to make it more accessible
• Parent Liaison with a flexible schedule
• Full time librarian (Common Core Utilization)
• ELA coaches for grades 1 & 2/ Math Coach
• Looping Other (foreign) languages.

Ideas that need further discussion:

• After School cafeteria services
• Data tracking and academic analysis (what is driving the “4^th grade mental dropout” crisis?)
• Liaison between school & community
• Expanding community “bridges”
• Organizing a tutoring week for local business
• Challenging the overall concept of what school is.
• Summer opportunities (educational but not traditional summer school)
• Create a lab school (See Dixon School Model; read June to August, B. Meir)
• Collaborate on community pride events (parades, in-house or district competitions)
• Consciously build in/out groups to build strong peer groups
• Develop a school which serves as a model for sustainability
• Principal have long term agreements to remain at the school
• Freedom School
• Grow Green Program
• Develop programs: Fathers/Grandfathers, classroom parents, volunteer support.
• Encourage neighborhood leaders to continue their efforts to impact schooling in the SW with renewed vigor and strengthen community involvement in schools from ALL neighborhood groups.
• Develop a mechanism for rapid response (ex: phone trees)
• Long Range: Use our influence to impact the academic programming, bussing, principal selections, the graduation rates and college success rates for SW residents.
• Involve members of the Safety Net Program
• Balance the concepts of “school choice and neighborhood schools”
• Identify the roles of business and college partners (Brockport Preservice Teacher Program)
• Analyze the missteps/success of The Children’s Zone