Journey to a June Day “Better than Christmas”

By Paula Monroe, NEA Executive Committee

On March 1^st Christy Levings and I had the privilege of visiting two alternative high schools in North Carolina – the first one was Davidson Extended Day.  In the beginning the staff at Davidson were not quite sure what we were doing there.  The principal, James Fitzgerald, made it possible for us to have time at the beginning of their day to have a full conversation with the staff.  The more we talked and listened, the more relaxed everyone was with our presence.

As at many of the SIG (School Improvement Grant) schools I have visited, the staff was not involved in putting “the plan” together – a transformation model.  That was done by a district level person who has since retired, as has the principal who was at Davidson at the time.  The challenge that staff are dealing with is what the grant said they were going to do and what they actually can do.  While the new principal was given the plan, according to staff, he has done an excellent job of working with them to find solutions and creative ways to address their issues.  It was a rough start to the year but, together, with the leadership and support of the principal, they have tried to figure out how to make it work.  One thing that is exciting for the staff is, after having gone to a virtual instruction format that made them feel more like tech support than teachers, they now are back to providing face to face instruction.  As one of them said, “Now I can actually teach!”

Students who come to Davidson are already behind an average of two years when they arrive.  They have so many barriers and issues – beyond their academic success.  There is a huge need for counseling.  Many of the students need the services of a therapist.  They are students that ride a school bus from their rural homes for a long time to get to the school.  Many of them have parents who do not have a high school diploma and do not encourage their children to graduate from high school.

As with so many SIG schools, being labeled as failing offends the staff and students.  It is also insulting that they were not included or even asked what they wanted or needed to help their students succeed.  The extended day, an additional 45 minutes, is controlled by district transportation availability.  Some of the new curriculum was simply handed to the teaching staff with no regard for the need to modify it to meet the special needs of the students.

With everything that is working against them, it’s the relationship they have with their students that keeps them coming back.  It’s not just the teaching staff, it’s the secretary and the custodian and other support staff that make up the Davidson Extended Day family.  It’s the never surrender; never give up; never say die attitude that drives the staff to do everything they can to help every student succeed. And, they have success stories to tell!

These amazing educators chose to teach at Davidson and believe that they are making a positive difference in their students’ lives.  The best part of our conversation was when we asked what keeps them coming back every day?  “June 11 – Graduation Day!  It’s better than Christmas!”  They all agreed!!  Everyone at the school celebrates and is part of that very special day!!  In 2010 Davidson Extended Day graduated 32 students – students who would not have graduated otherwise!!  Talk about making a difference!  Thank you was hardly enough for us to say for all that these amazing educators do every day – and it is something they admittedly don’t hear often enough!!