Day 5
Today I woke up in the Mission District of San Francisco, where I am staying with friends. Not one block from where I am staying is 24th St, a hub of Latino/Chicano activity. I saw murals, an art gallery, non-profit organizations and restaurants galore. After deciding on La Torta Gorda for breakfast, I realized that it was in fact a Poblano restaurant. I was pleased that on my chorizo and egg sandwich I could add avocado. Yum! Although I only had a coffee, I could have had a wide variety of aguas frescas, licuados or Mexican sodas. It got me really excited to explore the Mission District of San Francisco and to go to Puebla as well. Not today, though, because I have plans to check out a school in Oakland that has a great reputation for parent outreach and involvement.
The Monarch Academy in Oakland is part of the national Aspire network of charter schools. It is an elementary school which has been in the neighborhood for over 10 years. The student population is more than 95% Spanish-speaking students, most of whom are Mexican. One of the most noteworthy things when you enter the building is the emphasis on college readiness for all. In fact, the Aspire network motto is "College for certain!" My friend, who is a teacher there, shared with me that each class is named after the school and mascot of their teacher (i.e. the Oregan State Beavers). In the morning when they do role call, each class is referred to by the year that they will graduate college (i.e. class of 2022).
I had the privilege of speaking with the office manager, Angelica, about parent outreach and involvement at the school. Before becoming office manager, she was a parent of two children at the school, so she knows first hand what it means to be an active parent in the school. She confided in me that there were times when she didn't know how to help at school, even though she wanted to be involved. As a result, she gives specific requests to parents for how they can help both in person and via phone calls. For the most part, phone calls, face-to-face conversations and word of mouth are how she disseminates information, but at times she also flyers at community meeting places. When Angelica first came to the U.S. during high school, she worked in the fields and thus understands the challenges of hardworking recent immigrants. Referred to by members of the Monarch Community as a central figure in the community, Angelica is incredibly in touch with people in the neighborhood. Her outreach efforts are in part so effective because she is very in tune with the community, attending the same church as many parents and making an effort to attend community events.
I had the privilege of speaking with the office manager, Angelica, about parent outreach and involvement at the school. Before becoming office manager, she was a parent of two children at the school, so she knows first hand what it means to be an active parent in the school. She confided in me that there were times when she didn't know how to help at school, even though she wanted to be involved. As a result, she gives specific requests to parents for how they can help both in person and via phone calls. For the most part, phone calls, face-to-face conversations and word of mouth are how she disseminates information, but at times she also flyers at community meeting places. When Angelica first came to the U.S. during high school, she worked in the fields and thus understands the challenges of hardworking recent immigrants. Referred to by members of the Monarch Community as a central figure in the community, Angelica is incredibly in touch with people in the neighborhood. Her outreach efforts are in part so effective because she is very in tune with the community, attending the same church as many parents and making an effort to attend community events.
Another amazing initiative at the school is summer library. Kathy, the librarian, explained to me that at the public library, books are organized by topics or author. It is hard for kids to choose a book that is right for them. At her summer library, the books are organized by reading level. She has no late fines or due dates since her goal is to get kids reading with no obstacles. There has been an amazing response with dozens of children and parents coming every Wednesday to choose books. This year all of the books are in English but she is hoping next year to offer books in Spanish as well.