Investment Schools Community Meeting

Investment Schools Community Meeting

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Thursday, May, 2, 2013

People

1. Staff members who work at Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy will re-interview for their positions. Describe the personality of a successful, helpful teacher for your scholar.
2. Caring
3. Understanding
4. Communicate and make a connection with the child – relate to the child
5. Dedicated teacher who wants to teach and not just get a paycheck
6. Willing to go the extra mile

1. What should your scholar’s teachers be able to do?

• Whatever her job requires – To perform job duties per title
• Should be able to communicate with parents – stay in touch
• Tell me when it happens – not a week later, before issues arise.
• Teachers should be proficient in their subject matter
• Be able to motivate children
• Be a leader
• Work with teachers and kids
• Strong – Rule with an iron fist
• Has to be respected
• Be able to discipline
• Principal should also be able to lead and work with teachers and kids

1. Who should be part of the committee to select new hires?

• Eric Gordon
• Principals and teachers
• Senior staff should have input
• Community leaders – ministers and councilpeople

1. All staff members will be asked to sign an investment letter to commit to doing the hard work necessary at Franklin D. Roosevelt. What are some terms that they should agree to?

• Staff should agree to extra time to help students who may need tutoring (give up lunch and stay after school)
• Being committed to the children
• Listen and help them
• Parties and bake sales to reward kids as an incentive for good kids

1. How would you like adults at Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate with you about your scholar?
2. Weekly progress reports.
3. Emails
4. Online access to view grades

Time

1. The school day will not be lengthened for all scholars, but there will be opportunities for some scholars to take part in extended learning time. What should this time be used for? (i.e.: work time on computers, extra instruction in reading or math, small group or individual tutoring, book club, etc.)
2. Extra instruction in reading and math
3. Small group or individual tutoring
4. Outside resources in various subject matters

1. If your scholar could spend more time at school, when would work best for your family? Staying later in the afternoon? Starting earlier in the morning? Coming to school once a month on Saturday? Keeping school hours the same but taking shorter school vacations?
2. 7:30 am or after school
3. One hour before start and/or 1½ hour after school.

Money

1. How can the visible appearance of the school building be improved? What would make it feel more clean, more safe, more welcoming?
2. Keep it clean – outside and inside
3. Update restrooms
4. Grass cut consistently

1. Have you noticed anything about the school that makes you feel money is being used in smart ways, or that money is being wasted?
2. Good computer lab
3. No waste

1. What kinds of investments would demonstrate to you that the school has changed in positive ways?
2. More computers
3. Improvement in child’s behavior
4. Music program
5. Sports
6. Books

Programs

1. What organizations in the community do you trust to offer services to your scholar and your family?
2. City Year
3. Boy Scouts
4. Young Scholars
5. Young artists
6. Churches
7. Inter-generational programs
8. Fatima Center

1. How could the school work in cooperation with organizations in the community to help your scholar and your family?
2. Build a sense of self pride
3. Understand themselves and whatever they are going through
4. Broaden their horizons – for example a mural for young artists
5. Financial planning
6. African-American studies

1. What non-academic programs or extra-curricular activities would appeal to scholars (i.e.:sports, arts, chess, gardening, anything else)?
2. Art, reading, performing arts, sports, band, home economics.

1. What kinds of activities help your scholar to learn best?
2. Hands-on
3. When students interact with classmates and learn
4. Peer tutoring

1. How do you believe your scholar should spend his or her time at school?
2. Learning
3. Having fun while learning
4. Lessons that make sense to kids
5. Kids revisit lessons
6. Pop up quiz
7. Recitation of subject matter
8. Visual stimulation
9. Associative learning

INPUTFROMPARENTSAND COMMUNITYMEMBERS

WhatmattersaboutPeople: All theadultswhowork atFDR

 Effectivelycommunicatewith otherstaffmembers

 “Professionalism”

 Caring

 Understanding

 Knowhowtorelatetochildren

 Knowhowtorelatetoparents/guardians

 Dedicated;notjusttheretoreceiveapaycheck

 Willingtogothe“extramile”fortheir students

 Beproactiveincommunicationwith parentbeforeissuesarise

 Performjobdutiesrequiredin their jobtitle

 Proficient insubjectmatter

 Knowhowtomotivatechildren

 Bea leader

 Rulewithironfist

 Firm with discipline

 Berespected

 Principalmustbeabletostep inwhen needed

Seniorteachingstaff,parentsandcommunityleaders(ministers,councilmen)shouldhaveinput onnewhires

 Willingtotakeextratimetohelpstudentswhoneedsupportinasubject(lunch, after-school)

 Listentochildren

 Giveincentives(parties,giveaways)

 Patient

 Prepared(andthensome)

 Shouldlikechildren

 Berespectful andknowledgeableabout communitywhereschoolislocated

 Principal shouldbe visible

 Fair andequitable

 Providedocumentationforwritten rulesandinvestigationof incidents

 Beaccountable

 Opendoor policy

 Wellorganized

 FollowBoardpolicies

 Local communityagencies

 Prepareanypotential committeepersonwithtraining

 Studentsshouldbe ontheinterviewcommittee (highschool)

 All partiescometogether

 Parent/teachercontractofinvolvement

 Inoldergrades, studentsshouldsignacontract

 Teachersshouldprovideasyllabus

 Teachersshouldcall parents andensurethat theyhavephonenumbers

 Dailycommunicationif necessary;weeklywouldalsobegood

 Notalwayscommunicatingwith parentsaboutnegativethings;call for goodaswell

 Contactparentsaboutopportunitiesforchildren

 Parentsshouldhaveteachers’phonenumbers andemailaddresses

 Provideindividual (specifically with parent)outreach

 Howtogetparentsto cometomeeting

Whatmattersabout Time:MakingeveryminutecountatFDR

 After-school

 Starting 30-45minutesearlier

 Extratimefor readingandmath

 Small groupor individual tutoring

 Outsideresourcestohelpwith subjectmatter

 Revisitlessonwithinthesameweeksothat it makessensetokids

 Takeoutgym

 Alternativeteachingmethods (i.e.:canteachmath ingym,music, etc.)

 Independent learningprojects

 Hands-onlearning

 Leaveasis

 Saturdayclasses

 Year-roundschool

 Timeon“task”

 Learningmore

 Learn tobeandstayfocused

 Life skills

WhatmattersaboutMoney:Makingthemostof everydollarat FDR

 Outside/insidecleanliness

 Updaterestrooms

 Grass cutconsistently

 SMARTboards

 Computer lab

 Organizations thatworkwith behavioralissues

 Music programs

 Books

 Personneeded todirecttrafficintheparkinglot

 SMART(seepainting)

 Newlearningprograms

 Updatedtechnology

 Propertrainingonhowto usenewtechnology (for parents, teachers, community volunteers)

oShouldreceivestipends

WhatmattersaboutPrograms: Supporting thesuccess of every scholarat FDR

 CityYear

 BoyScouts

 YoungScholars

 YoungArtists

 Churches

 Inter-generational programs

 Fatima Center

 Fraternities/sororities

 Buildingasenseof pride

 Understandingthemselvesandthechallenges theyaregoingthrough

 Broadentheir horizons

 Creatingamural

 Financial planning

 Afro-studyprograms

 Phonecalls

 Weeklyprogressreports

 Emails

 Onlineaccessforviewinggrades/progressreports

 Art

 Performingarts

 Sportsteams(x2)

 Band

 Homeeconomics

 Hands-on- student interactwith classmateandlearn

 Peertutoring

 Computers

 ContinuingFirstInMath

 Havefunwhilelearning

 Pop-upquiz

 Recitationof subjectmatter

 Visual stimulation

 Associativelearning(wordassociation)

 MyrtisTaylorConnections (health)

 Tri-C

 Metro- Health

 Inviteinwithoutqualifications

 Haveorganizationsinviteparentsintointroducethemtoorganizations

 Chessclub

 Gardening

 Ball roomdancing

 As IC students

 Bowling

 Project-based learning

oFamilyprojects

 Communityservice

INPUTFROM SCHOLARSATFDR:Whatmatters tous?

 Lessviolence

 Expressingthemselves

 Nottalkingaboutother students

 Bullying

 Better strategiesforlearningmath

 Nomoredress codebecause:

oKids wouldfeelmorecomfortable

oKids would havebetterconcentration

oKids wouldbeable toexpress themselves

 Gointoclassroomtosee whatis workingfor studentsandwhatis notworkingfor students

 Leteveryonegooutsidefor lunch

 Uselibraryasaplacetoconcentrate;goto thelibraryin betweenclasses togetabook

 Useoutsidetodoexperiments;connectoutsideenvironment tolearning

 Teachersshould:

oTeacheveryone

oWorkwithstudents toreadandsoundoutwords

oNotletkidsdothings overandoveragain

oGive morebreaks; time tostretch

oContinuetheirowneducation

oHelp studentsstep-by-step

oWorkwithsmall groups duringlunch

oFocusonspelling

oPracticemath problems

oGiveextracredit

oAllowworktobringgradeup

 Learnmoreofwhatyoustarted thatday

 Morespecials (gym,art,readingintervention,music)

 Read (11)

 Basketball

 Gymnastics

 Wrestling

 Boxing

 Extratimepreferences:

oShortvacation(3)

oOne Saturdayamonth (3)

oLongerafternoons(2)

 Extracurricularactivitypreferences:

oArt(3)

oMusic (2)

oGymnastics(3)

oCheerleading(2)

oFootball(1)

oWrestling(1)

oBasketball(1)

oBaseball(1)

oSoccer(1)

oHockey(1)

oTennis (1)