At our February Lunch Bunch, we asked everyone in attendance, including parents, community organizations, concerned citizens, business owners, and faith-based organizations, how they felt they can help Jackson Public Schools grow and what goals they will set for supporting JPS students every day. Below are the responses, verbatim, collected from the small group reports. The numbers that appear are how groups ranked them by importance and feasibility. Let us know what you think!

 

 

 

Lunch Bunch: Working Together

February 1, 2012

• 1. How can we: as parents, business owners, faith-based organizations, and concerned citizens help JPS grow?
• Whatever capacity you hold, make yourself known to JPS
• Promote a ‘Do right’ attitude
• Communicate- parents, businesses, community leader (#1)
• Develop partnerships with people visible in the community- religious organization, business, civic and social organizations (#2)
• Written partnership agreement establishing what each entity is willing to do (#3)
• Work to raise the performance, academically, of students annually (#4)
• Create a best practice tool so we will know what works and which schools are performing (#5)
• Accountability- let them know groups are watching
• Finding innovative ways to deal with ‘red tape’ in bureaucracies
• Know the system, share good things and interrupt negative JPS Comments
• Everybody needs to listen to what is being said. (#2)
• Need Strong leaders. Working in a particular field needs to be prepared (#3)
• Don’t listen to obstacles-what can I do to help. List the needs
• Listen to what person has to offer. If it’s good-use it. (#1)
• How can we get community and faith based organization to offer tutoring away from school. i.e., Guidance sessions-dealing with would child along w/ academics. (#5)
• Involved parents- opportunity for them to be involved. Parents have a lot to offer. Make them feel welcome. (#4)
• Enroll our children (#1)
• Volunteer for various activities/jobs that need to be done at schools. (#2)
• Define area of growth for JPS. (What does growth mean)
• Set expectations for 2 way communications
• More parental involvement (#3)
• Support our students and teachers, resources, personal appearance
• Support whether your kids are in public schools or not
• Speak positive about JPS
• Check best practices of other successful school systems (#4)
• Insist that all children can achieve. (#5)
• Stakeholders offer constructive observations to help district
• Supportive
• Volunteer
• Challenge anything that works against growth community outcry. (#3)
• Stakeholders need to work together-everyone’s responsibility- hold each other accountable
• Communicate high expectations for achievement (#1)
• Thank and reward good principals
• Publicize events that go on at schools
• Ask and expect mayor to speak up more often for JPS (cheerleader) (#2)
• Establish relationship between new superintendent, JPS, and mayor’s office
• Rally around students and schools when crisis, lack of student achievement, things not going well
• Community services in school areas should better coordinate to truly make community schools and services work together
• Create public alternative schools that are less jailhouse oriented
• Community and parental involvement
• Community agencies providing programs, not necessarily academics
• Parenting classes available for all parents (community provides)
• Courses on self-esteem and character education. (#2)
• Students scoring below standards work with tutors on subject and test taking skills-mandatory.
• Communication-very importance. (#3)
• Provide more counseling in and outside of the school building. Churches after school, etc…(#4)
• Focus on Math and science
• Kindergarten and 1^st grade- focus on reading, reading and reading. Grade level-fluently. (#1)
• More writing- fluently by middle school.
• Parents with computers should take advantage of many programs at all levels.
• Introduce children to working with numbers at an early age. Relate to daily activities to rid fear of math.
• More parental and community involvement. (#4)
• Create alternative schools with/true behavior modification programs (#5)
• Parenting classes! For all parents/ community providers
• Lead by example
• Community provided programs not necessarily academically based. (#3)
• Work fare for welfare parents to complete community service (re: legislation) 12 schools (teacher’s mediators, etc.) (#1)
• Training/orientation
• Community agencies in area of students active at those schools (social services, etc.) Community based schools and services. (#2)
• Database/network of services available
• “Best Practice tool” towards raising academic performances (#1)
• Accountability –let them know groups are watching (#2)
• Develop partnerships that include both formal and informal agreement. (#3)
• Finding innovative ways to deal with ‘red tape’ in bureaucracies. (#4)
• Know the system, share good things and interrupt negative JPS Comments. (#5)
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• 2. What can each of us do to support our JPS students every day?
• · Provide a positive and safe environment. (#2)
• · Take the opportunity motivate!
• · Be willing to mentor or tutor or volunteer to be a positive role model (#3)
• · Put students ‘first’ (#4)
• · Set and expect high standards ‘Set and Expect Factor’(#1)
• · Be visible
• · Provide mental and moral support ‘M2’ (#5)
• · Advocate daily for need and accomplishments of student ( i.e. visiting schools. And speaking positively)
• · Provide general resources and $ to com. Organizations supporting schools and pray for teachers, student
• · Support and volunteering (#1)
• · Enroll children in Public school and insist they can achieve (#2)
• · Parental involvement (#3)
• · Define Area of growth and check practices in J.P.S. (#4)
• · Two way communication school-community (#5)
• · Advocate everyday the needs and accomplishment of students (#1)
• · Insure they’re in class (#2)
• · Provide safe learning environment
• · Helping with homework and other school projects (#3)
• · Insure good rest and nutrition
• · Visit and speak positively about JPS schools (#4)
• · Provide resources for community organization supporting school districts. (#5)
• · Pray for students, teachers, and administrators.
• · Read to students
• · Get fathers involved (#4)
• · Ask questions every day of students and schools (#2)
• · Volunteer in the schools
• · Donate resources-and monetary support
• · Become adopters
• · Book buddies
• · Watch dog Dads
• · Test Procton
• · Facilitate workshops at JPS conferences
• · Make sure students are in school (#3)
• · Encourage all children (#5)
• · Stakeholders cooperate and collaborate together for students (#1)
• · Active participant in decision-making for schools.
• · Return to ‘village concept’-holistic approach toward educating child
• · Cash for grade (incentives) (#1)
• · Be examples- encourage students college is a norm. (#2)
• · Do something to show that something post HS (trade school, college, military, etc.) (#3)
• · Keep kids in school every day. How? Phone (all to district, reporting, alerting (#4)
• · Community hotline- Central reporting (#5)
• · Educating kids about money matters
• · Offer education materials to schools (#5)
• · Help with tutoring, reading as a volunteer
• · Encourage JPS personnel (internally and externally) (#4)
• · Support-show up (consistently) (#1)
• · High expectations-we believe in schools, JPS, students, community (#2)
• · Let students know they are part of the whole (#3)
• · Encourage administrative personnel to take an interest in what’s happening in school. Go to school. (#4)
• · Need to present a unified front. Orgs./community not coming together-support for the district. Reclaim our positive image. (never told people she worked for JPS). Should be proud! (#1)
• · School needs to be more fun. Hands-on. Creativity. Community activities.
• · All schools have gardener, including parents community groups, etc…
• · Partner with/master gardener program
• · Colleges provide ‘discounts’ to parents to further education, help students, etc. Partner with JPS. (#5)
• · Schools offer more trades.
• · Be accessible- spend time, be visible, encouraging. (#2)
• · Pray for them-everyday. (#1)
• · Correct with LOVE constructive criticism. Give fresh perspective. (#5)
• · Mentoring program. Partner with churches in communities. (#3)
• · Emphatic and assist with problems/issues. (#4)