Tu Revista Latina Magazine

The Phoenix Rising

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, a child in America will drop out of school.

In the time it takes you to finish this sentence, another child in this country will decide to run away from home.

In the time it takes you to read this article, another teenage girl will have a baby.

There are two things you should know about kids of this nature.

First, there is no such thing as a typical drop out student. The kids you’ll hear about in this article come in all shapes and sizes and from all types of backgrounds. They are as young as fourteen and as old as early twenties. They come from good neighborhoods and bad ones.

That’s the second thing that must be realized. As different as they are, they all have one thing in common: they are survivors. None of these kids wanted to end up in bad circumstances, but somehow they did. Lack of direction and guidance is almost always the cause. They are victims of a great crisis occurring in our nation today-the tragic breakdown of the American family.

But, they can be helped. San Andres High School is a place that is doing just that.

For years San Andres was viewed as a dumping ground for kids that couldn’t conform to traditional school structures or social expectations, but the school environment was similar to the ones that didn’t suit them. Yet, students were brought to San Andres with the unrealistic expectation that somehow a new place might change things around.

The demands of the circumstances became overwhelming to both students and staff.  Enjoying school and learning were not taking place. Clearly, change was needed in order to meet student needs, and so, the system was overhauled.

As the associate superintendent of instruction, Dr. Steven Sanchez spent time studying how best to go about restructuring San Andres. He spoke with students and staff and conducted research.  In doing so, he realized just how diverse students’ needs were. For many, circumstances made it difficult to think about school or attend regularly. They were busy working to support family or raising children of their own. Some were simply different thinkers and the large high school environment didn’t suit them. In some cases it was a teacher’s comment or lack of effort that caused them to stop trying. Many needed support and someone to show them what steps were needed to continue their education. Some literally left their homes because parents or stepparents didn’t care where they went. Others left because they were abused physically, emotionally, continually. For these kids life at home was so unbearable they couldn’t live there another day.

It was evident the school was not structured in a manner that appropriately supported students in their personal circumstances. Changes were required to meet their unique needs.

The process began with a new staff. It was important to find and employ teachers that contributed to the renewal process. San Andres principal, Joy Walkey worked closely with central office to carefully screen and select teachers that shared the new vision and a vice principal that sincerely supported staff and students. As part of the screening process, candidates were required to have a certain level of experience and expertise in order to qualify for a position.

Once the staff was assembled, they were given time to collaborate and develop new instructional approaches. The idea was to engage students in a new curriculum that allowed them to create projects and participate in seminars offering personalized instruction. School hours would also extend into the evening. The flexible time allowed students the choice of attending day or night while balancing personal and academic obligations.

Technology was another instructional addition, furnishing students with opportunities to complete online courses. Grant monies provided the means to construct a cyber café. The café was centrally located and offered a comfortable atmosphere of ambient lighting, tables, couches, computers, and an available instructor to support students as they completed online assignments.

The implementation of web-based learning allows students the opportunity to participate in credit recovery. Unfinished coursework is recoverable by completing lessons online. This new feature enticed other high school students to enroll in evening courses at San Andres and participate in its credit recovery system. Students taking advantage of this arrangement can work at their own pace and graduate sooner than expected.

A new enrollment process required students to attend personal meetings with San Andres’ staff to discuss their academic goals and the new structure. Within these meetings the educational experience is personalized and tailored toward individual needs. A special contract is then drawn up – an agreement among the kids, their parents, and staff. Both administrators and teachers agree to do all they can to help each student succeed and prepare for a future beyond high school. In turn, students agree to try…to put their faith in the process and trust that teachers and staff are sincerely working for their best interests.

It has been five months since those agreements were first offered. Staff and students have experienced the initial adjustments and growing pains. The work is hardly finished and in some respects it has just begun. There are many impressions of the new structure, yet everyone agrees, there is a distinct difference between the present and years past.

Many students are beginning to enjoy school for the first time. New traditions have been added, including school dances, and the adoption of a new mascot. No longer would San Andres be represented by a turtle. The students voted on the Phoenix as their mascot. A mythical creature known to purge itself in fire and rise regenerated from the ashes.

The history of San Andres leading up to the present echoes the story of the Phoenix. Where once the future looked bleak it now burns bright, as staff, administration, and students renew academic efforts in earnest, remembering the past and rising to the challenges of today and beyond.

Wade Anthony Cornelius

Winter 2009