If I Make This School Better, I Can Change the World! Um, right?
June 3, 2008 11:45 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for some research or (last resort) anecdotal stories about the effect of improved/improving schools on communities/neighborhoods.
I'm putting together a project that would try and encourage local community members to adopt classrooms/teachers in an urban school.
I'd like to be able to describe to people other than parents how improving a school can help to improve a community. I have a hunch that it helps with property values, but I don't have the data to back that up. Effects on crime? Effects on local businesses? Etcetera, etcetera.
Unfortunately, I'm working from home these days and don't have access to the good old university database that I'm used to. And it's been difficult to find what I need on Google.
Anyone have leads on where to look for this type of research, if it exists?
I'm putting together a project that would try and encourage local community members to adopt classrooms/teachers in an urban school.
I'd like to be able to describe to people other than parents how improving a school can help to improve a community. I have a hunch that it helps with property values, but I don't have the data to back that up. Effects on crime? Effects on local businesses? Etcetera, etcetera.
Unfortunately, I'm working from home these days and don't have access to the good old university database that I'm used to. And it's been difficult to find what I need on Google.
Anyone have leads on where to look for this type of research, if it exists?
No help, but interest. Mrs. Doohickie teaches in such a school. They have a couple of large-scale corporate sponsors, although they lose one of them at the end of the year due to a corporate relocation. The principal is meeting with local community and business leaders, and any good info that comes from your project would be helpful to this particular school I think.
posted by Doohickie at 1:08 PM on June 3, 2008
posted by Doohickie at 1:08 PM on June 3, 2008
Check out 826 Valencia (www.826valencia.org) and Dave Eggers (www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/163) I don't know how much help that will be but his talk from the TED awards inspired me!
posted by sisflit at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2008
posted by sisflit at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2008
I came in here just to recommend Dave Eggers.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 3:10 PM on June 3, 2008
posted by flibbertigibbet at 3:10 PM on June 3, 2008
Response by poster: This is in the Chicago Public School system, within a neighborhood that has tremendous ethnic, religious and socio-economic diversity. The school is surrounded by small, independently owned shops and businesses which are really feeling the impact of the mega-stores on the fringes of Chicago.
It's not a high risk or failing school, and it will be my daughter's school someday. It's also not a charter school or a school with a huge amount of financial resources. Close to 20% of the students speak English as a second language and almost 80% of them are considered low income. But it has an attendance rate close to 95% and an almost non-existent truancy rate. The teachers are dedicated and passionate.
Systemic change in the Chicago Public School System is out of my reach. I don't think I would survive such an endeavor. I've worked with them before.
My goal is to not raise property values here (it's the city, they're already high). My goal is to enlist local neighbors, business owners and community organizations in adopting classrooms. If I have to sell that kind of program to community members who don't have kids by citing increasing property values, decreasing juvenile crime and increasing opportunities for local business, I'll do it. Is there an opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship between the school and the local businesses? I think there might be.
At the very least, I'd like to be providing funding and donations for those extra things that make a teacher's life easier and don't force them into compromising or reaching into their own pocket all of the time. At the most, providing funding for some of the positions and programs that the CPS administration is taking away next year (because of budget issues).
All of this was inspired by my "secret fairy godmother" work I did for a tiny school with no budget in Rogers Park years ago. They gave me a wish list, I asked my business colleagues for in-kind donations (paper, cardboard, art supplies, computer equipment) and money to try to address some of the items on the list. I wasn't able to grant all wishes, but I was able to pull off some surprises on a small scale. Now, I'm wondering if I can pull off some surprises on a larger scale :)
posted by jeanmari at 4:00 PM on June 3, 2008
It's not a high risk or failing school, and it will be my daughter's school someday. It's also not a charter school or a school with a huge amount of financial resources. Close to 20% of the students speak English as a second language and almost 80% of them are considered low income. But it has an attendance rate close to 95% and an almost non-existent truancy rate. The teachers are dedicated and passionate.
Systemic change in the Chicago Public School System is out of my reach. I don't think I would survive such an endeavor. I've worked with them before.
My goal is to not raise property values here (it's the city, they're already high). My goal is to enlist local neighbors, business owners and community organizations in adopting classrooms. If I have to sell that kind of program to community members who don't have kids by citing increasing property values, decreasing juvenile crime and increasing opportunities for local business, I'll do it. Is there an opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship between the school and the local businesses? I think there might be.
At the very least, I'd like to be providing funding and donations for those extra things that make a teacher's life easier and don't force them into compromising or reaching into their own pocket all of the time. At the most, providing funding for some of the positions and programs that the CPS administration is taking away next year (because of budget issues).
All of this was inspired by my "secret fairy godmother" work I did for a tiny school with no budget in Rogers Park years ago. They gave me a wish list, I asked my business colleagues for in-kind donations (paper, cardboard, art supplies, computer equipment) and money to try to address some of the items on the list. I wasn't able to grant all wishes, but I was able to pull off some surprises on a small scale. Now, I'm wondering if I can pull off some surprises on a larger scale :)
posted by jeanmari at 4:00 PM on June 3, 2008
I say Dave Eggers project
Schools are not great about recruiting people to help within the schools but if you can get a Big Brothers / Sisters or Mentor Program going with businesses in the area or retirees, they develop a vested interest in the school. Maybe the students are making AYP and don't necessarily need tutoring, however they probably need something to do after school that is not playing video games or sitting in front of the TV. With a batch of community members, they can do enrichment activities, start a writing club, play chess, learn about local history, the sky is the limit!
Once there is enough positive talk in the community, the donations will pour in.
posted by sisflit at 5:09 PM on June 3, 2008
Schools are not great about recruiting people to help within the schools but if you can get a Big Brothers / Sisters or Mentor Program going with businesses in the area or retirees, they develop a vested interest in the school. Maybe the students are making AYP and don't necessarily need tutoring, however they probably need something to do after school that is not playing video games or sitting in front of the TV. With a batch of community members, they can do enrichment activities, start a writing club, play chess, learn about local history, the sky is the limit!
Once there is enough positive talk in the community, the donations will pour in.
posted by sisflit at 5:09 PM on June 3, 2008
Response by poster: I love the idea of using Eggers for the students. And...
I'm also really invested in providing support for these teachers so they can better serve the students. These are great teachers working hard with very little in a school that is overcrowded and where intense diversity keeps them on their toes (rumor has it that there are over 20 different languages spoken by the children in this school).
If the sponsor-a-classroom model is even accepted, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, there is creating a mechanism or process for gathering sponsorship funds, dispensing them to classrooms, accounting for how they are being spent and the results being accomplished, reporting back to sponsors. After selling the idea at all, that is a project that is pretty large in scope. Especially since this is a low tech, immigrant community.
The parents in the community (and some grandparents) are pretty active in volunteering currently. It's just such a large school for an overcrowded city neighborhood! Almost 950 students in grades K-8.
posted by jeanmari at 6:15 PM on June 3, 2008
I'm also really invested in providing support for these teachers so they can better serve the students. These are great teachers working hard with very little in a school that is overcrowded and where intense diversity keeps them on their toes (rumor has it that there are over 20 different languages spoken by the children in this school).
If the sponsor-a-classroom model is even accepted, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, there is creating a mechanism or process for gathering sponsorship funds, dispensing them to classrooms, accounting for how they are being spent and the results being accomplished, reporting back to sponsors. After selling the idea at all, that is a project that is pretty large in scope. Especially since this is a low tech, immigrant community.
The parents in the community (and some grandparents) are pretty active in volunteering currently. It's just such a large school for an overcrowded city neighborhood! Almost 950 students in grades K-8.
posted by jeanmari at 6:15 PM on June 3, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by prefpara at 12:07 PM on June 3, 2008