By Anne L. Bryant
06/01/04 -- I'm not sure whether, in your city or town, the news on May 17 focused on the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, but here at NSBA and in Washington, D.C., there was a great deal of reflection.
At NSBA, we commemorated the 50th anniversary in several ways, organizing our activities under the theme, "Fulfilling the Promise of Brown."
A section of our website is devoted to Brown and has lots of resources. We've also produced an attractive poster supported by Sprint (which now hangs in my office), a special section on Brown in the April edition of American School Board Journal, and several reports in School Board News and other publications. In addition, our Annual Conference in April featured special programming on Brown.
All of these writings and activities, we hope, have brought some thoughtful discussion to you, local school board members, as you address the impact of Brown in your communities.
As I reflect upon Brown, it occurs to me that we have come a long way since 1954 -- and yet we all recognize that we have a long way to go. Our theme, "Fulfilling the Promise," is what should and does drive our work as governors of public education.
The achievement gap -- between poor students and middle class students; among black, white, and Hispanic students; and between students who are ready to learn and those who are not -- is significant.
One of my favorite comments on this issue is by Washington Post columnist William Raspberry. "Fifty years after Brown, we should have learned that there is no magic in white classmates," he wrote May 17. "The magic lies at the intersection of education opportunity and attitude -- the coming together of teachers who know how to teach and children who are ready to learn."
"No one thing -- not the ballot, not changes in school governance, not desegregation -- will produce that happy confluence. We have to demand that the schools get ready for our children," Raspberry continued. But it was his last sentence that particularly struck me: "But we also have to make sure, using every resource at our disposal, that our children are ready for school."
Because, although those of us in the "world of education" know how much learning can take place within our school walls, we are also very aware that much more needs to be done within our communities and within families to make students' lives outside of school better, healthier, and enhanced by educational opportunities.
During those times when children are not in class, they need to be stimulated by books, stories, and projects; enriched by art and music; and loved with clear discipline built in.
Young people's lives are complex. There are so many forces at work, including harmful forces.
It seems to me that one way we can help goes back to that part of NSBA's strategic vision that I have talked about in past School Board News columns. Not only do school boards have to focus like a laser beam on raising student achievement -- but we also need to reconnect and stay very connected to our communities. It is only through this connection that we will even be able to tackle the issue Raspberry poses -- helping to ensure young children are ready to enter school.
Families and communities are entrusted with raising our children. When they are dysfunctional, we see the results. We cannot change families, but we can help communities by serving them and perhaps even aiding families, as well.
The added benefits we will get by serving our communities is that local citizens will be more likely to support their schools. At this point, some of you might be thinking, "This is not our job" or "With all we have on our plate, don't load us up."
For those of you who are game, however, here are a few ideas on what you can do for your community:
• Host a community conversation, and use our guidebook, Communities Count: A School Board Guide to Public Engagement, to get you started. Ask local citizens such questions as, "What matters to you in public education?" and "What should we be teaching?"
The Maryland Association of Boards of Education has done some tremendous outreach efforts and, so far, has helped eight school boards conduct these types of conversations.
• Work with your city, county, or town council to offer summer programs for children to help them keep learning during the three-month break. We know from sound research that children lose ground during the summer if they don't have opportunities for stimulating reading, critical thinking, and creative programs.
• Start an after-school tutoring program or, if you already have such a program, expand it. It works! My husband has helped to develop a terrific after-school volunteer tutoring program that is a "turnkey" operation that takes very little support from the school.
The 400-student elementary school now has 50 tutors. The teachers are thrilled because they see the results in increased skills and, therefore, more confidence among their students. The community volunteers talk about the school in glowing terms. This program is growing a community connection.
• Offer parents parenting skills classes.
• Create or expand adult learning programs.
For lots more ideas, visit our website, www.nsba.org, and type in the search bar "community engagement." Also visit the section on NSBA's Key Work of School Boards, and look for information on collaboration.
Getting children ready for school is a monumental job for some families. Schools can be a community resource, as well as a family resource. The payback is student achievement beyond our wildest dreams. Fulfilling the promise of Brown is a lofty goal in these challenging times but can be very rewarding.