School systems disenfranchise youth in the inner city. Without a good education most will be unable to earn a good wage or find a rewarding job field. Students realize when they don't make the grade, they are at the bottom of the heap and soon give up trying. Others are bored and don't see a relationship between themselves and what they're expected to know. The dropout rate in this nation is increasing at an alarming rate. What can each of us do to stem this problem, which leads to a life of poverty for so many?Dr. Bill Cala, former Superintendent of Fairport Schools and Interim Superintendent of Rochester City Schools, shows poverty's linked to the inner city. The question he asked is, "How can we de-concentrate poverty?"
His answer - create a Metro School so inner city youth can learn outside a poverty ridden environment. "Metro Schools provide both economic and racial integration," Bill asserts. He will establish a lottery system so that all learners obtain equal opportunity to be selected. Special needs and top academic students gain equal access.How will a Metro School differ from charter or private schools?
Metro Schools provide:
Stimulating quality education for inner city residents alongside suburban youth. Can you envision this culturally rich environment?Dr. Cala's Metro School will be built on an Education is Democratic foundation, with 20 key principles:
School, for Dr. Cala, means humanity for all.
A thinking and problem solving environment.
Random selection of inner city students rather than creaming the top and ignoring problems.
- Education as knowledge - the organizing system
- Curriculum as tool to make sense of the big world
- Internships and shadowing - Learning by real life situations
- Music for all - all kids will have instruments
- Teacher "fires" and empowers students and works more as an advisor
- Parent and community involvement
- Service to society - Expeditionary learning [Big Picture - Cala]
- Evaluation by demonstration and exhibition
- Learning is purposeful - not simulated. Tap individual skills.
- Teachers and students engaged intellectually, emotionally and physically
- Self-discovery - many are evaluated only by test scores and that must change
- Curriculum without borders [MITA]
- Creating healthy learning environment
- Student ownership of learning
- Relationship building - love the children. Intergenerationally
- Social Justice
- De-concentrate poverty by including 40% inner city students [tipping point for a stable learning environment] with suburban students
- Cultural competence and diversity - Schools need to reflect world
- Brain-based learning [MITA]
- Understanding motivation [Self Determination Theory]
Bill Cala's vision is that each of the nineteen colleges in the Rochester, New York area will eventually build a Metro School. He's supported by a board of area school superintendents. Daan Braverman, President of Nazareth College welcomed and supported Bill's vision so has opened the door for Nazareth to host the first school. The Metro School will begin with K-1 and 7th grade classes and each year will add one each in the primary and middle/secondary area until they eventually build a separate Metro School.
What Bill needs now, in spite of a stalling economy, is business and community support behind the school. All who are intersted in stemming the tide of poverty in upstate New York are invited to contribute to this stimulating, culturally-rich learning environment. Hopefully that includes many people in the Rochester area.
This blog is a part of Blog Action Day against Poverty. Over 9,000 bloggers will reach a total of ten million readers in this major effort today, October 15, 2008.
Dr. Ellen Weber and I support Bill Cala's and other leaders' vision for the new Metro School. The Metro School adds a knockout punch to fight against poverty!
Thanks for your leadership, Dr. Bill Cala!
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