The nature of my job puts me in a very interesting position. Being in four buildings a day, nine buildings a week, 23 different schools in my career ... I've seen a lot of different approaches to education. And I'm fascinated by it, as is my teaching partner, who has done quite a bit of study in the area of sociology, and one of the other people we work with has her undergraduate degree in Sociology. Between us, we spend more than our share of time and thought considering the sociology of our schools. And one of the more interesting aspects of that is the element of culture.
For those of you a little unsure of what I mean by "culture," let me bring you up to speed. This is one of those major buzzwords that informed how we work in the public schools about 15 years ago, and it still drives a lot of decisions today. The culture of a building is nothing more than the prevailing attitudes and values, as expressed in how students, staff and community approach both the process of educating students and building social norms within the building. And, while "culture" is certainly influenced by "ethnicity," you should never conflate the two --; they are very different beasts.
Consider it this way: The Denver Broncos have had more trips to the Super Bowl in the last 30 years than they've had losing seasons; the Colorado Rockies have had fewer winning seasons in their history than the Broncos have had trips to the Super Bowl. Do you think that's just luck? The Broncos have done this while getting very few high draft picks, and actually being very wrong about a number of free agents (remember Vernon Davis?). So, how do they keep winning? Because the culture of that organization is one of accountability, teamwork, and accomplishment. The Rockies? I once heard that they really value good guys in the locker room.
Not quite the same thing.
How does that relate to the schools? Well, I have schools that are a lot like the Rockies --; good kids, caring and supportive staff, but not achievement-oriented. Other schools are more like the Broncos --; focused on accomplishments, rather impatient with excuses. There's even one school in the area that's a little like Enron, back in the day --; SO focused on the bottom line (test scores, rankings), that it is a little dismissive of students that aren't similarly focused. And, by the way, test scores are NOT the only way to measure achievement: look at the football team, or the spring musical, or the PTSA Reflections contest --; large-scale efforts that provide opportunities for students to excel often tell you more about a school than the dry numbers on a test summary, at least at the high school level.
The reason this matters is that Jeffco Schools are going to be going through an interesting period, going forward. The new year is going to bring conversations --; some of which have already started through the district's web presence --; about budgets, staffing, program offerings and school boundaries that effect everybody. But I am convinced that none of those elements have as much effect on what sort of students we turn out as how we approach the culture of the schools. And that is the sort of thing that the community has not only a vested interest in, but some influence upon.
Take a moment, next time you drop your kids off at school, or listen to a community presentation, and think about what you can learn about the school by watching the activity around it. And then, if you are so inclined, get involved in the conversations about the future. The Broncos are still winning this year without Peyton Manning because that's the expectation --; Jeffco will be working hard to pull off a similar "season." You can help us out --; don't just be a spectator. Get involved.
Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His novels are available at MichaelJAlcorn.com
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Improving-school-culture-begins-us,240479?branding=15
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