MLK, Education Reform, and the CIS Model

 

The holistic approach to the function of education espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is sorely lacking in today's legislative actions pertaining to educational reform.  While it is without a doubt that educational mandates such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and Race To The Top (RTT)  have the intention of increasing schools' overall performance, improving teacher accountability, and fostering students' academic success, major flaws are apparent in both reform measures.
 

The No Child Left Behind Act, with its rigid standards, seems to  rely too  much on a single end-of-year score to determine whether a school is “passing” or “failing.” In addition, NCLB does not appear to take into consideration the diversity of schools and their student populations or factors outside of the school setting that might be equally contributory to the success, or lack thereof,  of its student population.  In addition, NCLB fails to recognize progress.  Let's be honest.  We all know that schools serving students from affluent populations were never at risk of being "left behind."  However, as a result of NCLB, low performing schools, located in under-served, impoverished areas that services disadvantage students, are being penalized  without consideration of the individual needs of the student population and without active measures to prevent these students from being "left behind."

Moreover, while Race to the Top (RTT) also has the intent of increasing students' achievement, its very name is indicative of competition.  Some would argue that having schools compete for federal dollars is just the spark needed to ignite the fires of education reform.  However, education should not be designed to be a competition.  Note that as the word competition denotes, If there is a winner, there has to be a loser.   Like NCLB, it appears that the "race" is stacked and schools winning the "race" are schools that already have the most resources and student success stories.  In the end, it is the student attending the school losing the race that suffers the consequences.

It is precisely because education is the road to equality and citizenship that it has been made more elusive….  - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 The Communities in Schools (CIS) model seeks to improve educational outcomes holistically, making high school graduation less elusive to at risk students. The CIS model is grounded in the concept that students can and will achieve when resources are tailored to not only address academic needs, but also to address factors outside of the school environment impacting students' lives. The CIS service model provides interventions by connecting students with community resources tp provide assistance at every level of need.  By addressing all of the students' needs, at risk students gain a more equal footing with their advantaged peers, thereby, increasing the likelihood of their success, socially, emotionally and academically.  Consequently, no child is left behind and every student reaches the top.

The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. For more information about the Communities in Schools model, our impact on students, and how you can help please contact us at:

Communities in Schools - Henry
70 Macon Street
McDonough, GA 30253
Phone: 678 432 4499

E-mail:  crystal.cohen@cis-henry.org

http://www.cis-henry.org/ 
CIS-GA:  http://www.cisga.org/cisgawpress/
CIS National:  http://www.communitiesinschools.org

Crystal Cohen is the Part-Time Site Coordinator at the Henry County Communities in School affiliate (CIS-Henry).  Her role at CIS-Henry includes coordinating services for students and their families, implementation/evaluation of school based programs, and  research/dissemination of evidence based practices that promote student achievement and parental engagement.  She is also a full-time graduate student at Clayton State University, completing a Master's of Psychology degree,  Applied Developmental Science Track.  Her expected graduation date is in 2014. 

  

There is little doubt that Martin Luther King Jr. would support a far different agenda: one that was supportive of teachers, integration, and equitable resources and conditions in inner city schools, - See more at: http://thediariesofalawstudent.blogspot.com/2012/01/martin-luther-king-jr-and-education.html?m=0#sthash.fzpC0nvj.dpuf