School Place Identity # 3: School as Community Beacon of Hope

In the midst of life's storms, it is extremely comforting and reassuring to know that after going through whatever trials or tribulations one has had to battle or overcome, there is often a way out or a way through. Sometimes that way forward comes from an unexpected source of light or becomes part of a planned effort for change, rescue, and redemption.

School Place Identity #3 - School as Community Beacon of Hope- speaks to a philosophy and belief that schools must be a safe haven and social rallying point that engages the communities and students they serve from more than just an academic development perspective, but from a cultural framework that seeks to validate, understand, and support students and their communities. Schools and their leaders must be willing to invest in community and people building. All across this country there are students and families that fight an ongoing battle not to succumb to the perceived and real negative circumstances of being located in the wrong zip code, tax bracket, neighborhood, school, or district. Add to this, the task of students growing up in dysfunctional home environments while trying to overcome learning challenges and grade level achievement deficits, one must understand the need for more of a supportive and holistic view of school and community engagement that builds relationships founded in life skills and parenting education that fosters honest exchanges of ideas and real-world problem-solving. Parents, students, and their communities must be given more than narratives but actual resources and actionable lifelines that help support them in their time of need or crisis. For example, calling a parent about their child's negative behaviors might not be of great concern to a parent who's worried about keeping the lights on or having enough money to pay the rent. School staff, leaders, and teachers are the first line of connection and trust builders that must actively and continuously seek relationships that allows parents or guardians to let down their guards and not be afraid to be vulnerable which in turn brings about a more honest communication dynamic. Of course, this may not be easy or work in many situations, but the effort must be made anyway. We as educators and leaders must be seen as beacons of hope that assume the role of "first-responders" when a student or a family share that they are in crisis or are dealing with negative life circumstances. Many schools and districts are making efforts in this area, but often only treat surface issues or concerns when a more in-depth or deeper level of action is needed.

"You can't change the world if you don't change yourself first. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” —?Leo Tolstoy

Change

How can we build this" Beacon of Hope" dynamic within all our schools? The first step is for local, state, and federal entities to recognize and advocate the need for such a dynamic in our schools and communities then validate their convictions by providing the necessary support mechanisms that moves this framework forward. Secondly, efforts must be made to community stakeholders and families that encourage and empower them to come to the table of discussion with these entities on how this philosophy can benefit parents and their children.

Ultimately, schools, school leadership, parents, guardians, and stakeholders must actually demonstrate with service and support that it does "take a village to raise a child." Attitudes and biases must change or be removed from any equation that seriously wants parents and guardians to take a more active role in their children's education and development. In many cases, they don't respond to their children's teachers or schools because they don't care, but because they are overwhelmed by life challenges or are intimidated and unsure how to interact positively with a school because of the past negative experiences they may have had with the educational system when they were students themselves.

Do schools really want more parent involvement? For good to great schools this should not be a problem, but for others this would demand that change is made immediately. Imagine what would happen to some of the weak or under performing schools/districts in our K-12 system if all parents or guardians were given incentives, training, access, tools and authority to vote in changes. I'm confident more parents and guardians would become actively involved in the scrutiny and performance of a school and school system if they knew their voices really mattered.

Rescue

"A lighthouse doesn't save ships; it doesn't go out and rescue them, it's just this pillar that helps to guide people home." - Lea Michele

In this critical juncture of K-12 education in America, we are faced with a sobering reality that many of our children and their families, particularly in minority neighborhoods and underperforming schools, will be left behind. Current educational data is showing that many of the progresses students had made in Math over the past several years is now on a decline. Reading scores have also decreased. It is evident that we need new "guides " and must find more ways to assist those students and schools that are most at risk.

One of my solutions is to develop more "people lighthouses" that would help guide parents, guardians, and schools with the challenges of the real-world of teaching, learning and educating of children. Much in the same way this country has used AmeriCorps, which is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federally funded program can be put in place to provide the needed life raft many families could use to help the educational development and instruction of their children. As a former Americorps member, I appreciate the impact Americorps has had on my life and value the work the program does in communities all over America.

Borrowing from some of the ideas of AmeriCorps, I would create a - Parent Corps Lighthouse Program specifically designed to service parents and the schools their children attend. Prospective corps-members could only come from the communities and school districts or systems they would be scheduled to serve. All corps members would have to be at least 25 years old or older and must make a 4-year commitment to serve a school's parent community. Once a request is reviewed and analyzed by Corps management staff, Corps members would have the authority to recommend and grant emergency financial assistance for students or parents needing crisis support.

Redemption

I think redemption is about righting a wrong, and in that pursuit it's about trying. You can stumble, you can make mistakes, but it's about trying to do the right thing" -Michael B. Jordan

As a nation we must actively seek out new pathways of influence that will generate a renewed interest in our public school system. Some of the same philosophies that created the charter school movement in this country should be applied to creating and building better school environments, but more importantly better parent -student-school engagement frameworks.

The longing for neighborhood schooling only works if the school in that neighborhood is a good school. The virtual domain has given many parents an option in educating their children, but unfortunately, many parents don't have the time or inclination to monitor if their children are really receiving any valuable learning. Thus, the same problem as face-to-face school environments exist for online learners and parents.

As the quote by Michael B. Jordan above mentions, redemption is about trying to do the right thing. We must make genuine attempts to bring parents or guardians to the school campus as well as online learning environments not as visitors but investors in the growth of their children and community. Parents must be made to feel that they have real input and can author ideas that will be taken seriously by teachers and administrators.

Community Beacon of Hope -school place identities- brings forward the idea that a school and learning institution cannot be operated like a bank or store with closing hours. A "Beacon of Hope school philosophy consists of constantly seeking ways to build relationships and trust while bringing value and support to the development of every child, their families and the communities they live.