High school student here, I seek political help! Please read!

Hi, I am a 15 year old currently attending an arts high school in the chicagoland area. I need some help. Big time.

My school is centered around arts. My art is filmmaking. The trouble comes straight from ISACS.

I came to the school at the beginning of the school year and its the best school that I have ever attended, for one reason alone. The teachers there are very good. They are young and know how to relate to us teenagers better than the 50 year old tight asses at other schools. All was going well and good until ISACS came.

ISACS came and assessed our school, and we passes inspection. All they can do is suggest, but they do have some influence. What they told our school is that we were focusing too much on both academics and arts and we are not a collage prep school and we need to focus more on arts if we want to be good at anything. Summary:

"You have academics, arts, and only so much effort. Stop touting yourselves as a collage prep school because your not, and if you keep doing so you come up with a school designed to do everything, that isnt really very good at anything".

On to the point.

There have been growing signs of a huge reform about to take place at my school. Half of the academic department teachers have not been offered contracts back. These include all of the teachers who without them, half of the freshman class would be flunking out. They are a huge help and I have been fighting the school board to save them. This is where I need help.

I have been applying two kinds of pressure and its all I know how to do. I need ideas about what else I can do.

1. Negative pressure. We are quite a small high school of 150 or so kids, so money talks. Tuition is upwards of $20,000 a year. That means if ten or so parents call up and say "if you get rid of these teachers we will be less inclined to send our kids back next year" its $200,000 out of a not so big budget. Thats the bare minimum. If I can get one third of the school in on this which isnt hard because everyone loves these teachers, its millions of dollars, and that kind of money talks loudly at a small school.

2. Positive pressure. I put together a donation comittee to call up and say things like "hey I want to donate this. By the way I think the teachers are great and I am only making this donation because of them.

Here lies the problem. These two strategies are all I've got, and so far they havent been working. What other kinds of things can I do to pressure the school to keep these teachers?

Thanks,

-BW23

First of all, I'd like to congratulate you and give you thumbs up for caring enough about these teachers and your school enough to try to make a real difference for the better. My husband was a teacher for 20 years and he was one of those "special ones", everyone loved him.
I will ask him if he has any ideas. He'll be home shortly and then I'll talk to him and get back to this thread.

Originally posted by forestlady
First of all, I'd like to congratulate you and give you thumbs up

for caring enough about these teachers and your school enough to try to make a real difference for the better.

Absolutely!! You demonstrate such a responsible attitude to not only your education, but the institution too. Really impressive qualities to have.

I can't offer too much advice unfortunately.

All I can suggest is keep at it and don't give up! I am sure your efforts will make a difference!!


oh had an after thought and it is perhaps a long shot...but what about contacting someone/organisation that has $$$$ ?
Anyone from your school accomplish anything grand? Bill Gates?? lol
Try museums etc. It is a long shot and perhaps crazy but sometimes, crazy long shots pull the rabbit out of the hat...





[edit on 16-4-2007 by NJE777]

Hi BW,

Although I'm not familiar with how the US Freedom Of Information Act works, have you tried to obtain a copy of the ISACS inspection report?

At least then you'll be able to use their own suggestion and recommendations cited in the report to write a rebuttal and to focus on key points in the report that you and your fellow students disagree against to base a school/community wide petition on...you get my WATS too for giving a damn and wanting to fight for a better education

go get em!

I will call ISACS after school today and try and obtain at least a partial report.

Great ideas guys. Keep em coming!

Today I established a committee with some friends called the GFEG. We are going to talk to the administration and see what we can do as far as getting the information goes. Right now we only have one side of the story and I want to know the admin side before I take action.

I also have a trump card up my sleeve - going public and getting the mayor involved...he actually acts on this type of thing with haste and vigor.

Hi Black Widow, my husband came hom and I asked him about your situation. He said that basically the only thing he saw work, was when the alumni came together to protest something. They have an extremely devoted alumni, don't know if your school does but it's worth a shot. You mentioned what the tuition is, there must be some wealthy alumni who don't want to see the school changed into something else. Maybe you can get the alumni to make the phone calls saying they have a donation, but only if the teachers are able to remain.
I do know that a similar thing happened to Hershey University (I think that's what it's called.) Milton Hershey (of chocolate fame) started a college that was only for orphans. Didn't matter how smart they were, how much money or what their grades were. If they were orphans they could go to his school for free. There were many, many people who had benefited from his wonderful school and they all got together and launched a massive campaign when the admin tried to charge big fees, etc. for tuition, something whihc was expressly forbidden in Mr. Hershey's will.
So, maybe if you work with some alumni, you can get something done.

Black Widow, I gave you a WATS for your post, keep us posted, oK?

I don't understand your post. You say, I quote, "we were focusing too much on both academics and arts and we are not a collage prep school and we need to focus more on arts". Too much focus on arts, but not enough?

I mean that we are focusing on both academics and arts and neither are turning out too well, so we have to pic one or the other.

Hi, just an update. There has been steady progress.

The first step I took was to establish a committee called GFEG to talk to the administration. Due to the small size of my school it lacks a student body government, and therefore there is no direct link of information from the faculty to the students. I established GFEG to talk to the administration and get the information. Here is what we came up with:

-These teachers are being fired due to lack of experience
-The school is agreeing with ISACS and going ahead with its reform
-The teachers style will not fit with the new school.

Very vague. I didnt get enough.

My next step was a more serious one. I held a meeting of GFEG to discuss our next step. We drafted a letter to be sent home to parents. It went home and thats where we stand now. So far, about 30 parents have agreed to support the cause and we have about $150,000 in negative pressure and $14,000 in positive pressure (donations). Its working too. The school cant even afford new desks much less a third of the school dropping out.

The administration is bringing me he11 for this. They are s|-|itting on me from pretty high up for it.

My next step, should May 23rd come without word from the administration, will be to go public. I have a school full of disgruntled art students who are in no way afraid to fully express their feelings on the news. When a few arts students scream about how much education means to them on TV, the school will experience such a massive pressure that they will have to crack. This is my trump card.

I will update whenever I hear anything.

Way to go! If the you've got the management trying to bully and silence you, then you're already making good headway!

If it's worth owt, here's a strategy suggestion:

1) Get hold of as much information as possible under the F.O.I. Act, such as management/policy meeting minutes, financial records, etc. (as well as the ISACS report)...it may not contain anything that you could use to further your cause, but it will certainly filter back and get the managements attention that you really mean business

2) Invite representatives from the education dept., headteacher, staff, and all the other pupils and their parents to a public debate...the idea is to get them to account for their actions/decisions in front of a huge audience (kinda like a public Senate enquiry)

3) If your invitation to put the matter to public debate is declined, then go for the jugular with the media

Do any of the parents that are supporting you work in the legal profession? If so you could enlist their help perhaps? Or you could go arrange a meeting with a local 'investigative journalist' and enlist their help to dig up information?

Keep up the good fight, and keep us posted

Citizen Smith (love the title!) I love your ideas, great ones. A debate that includes parents, teachers, admin and interested members of the public perhaps would be a great thing.
I also agree with you about the fact that getting the admin upset with you shows that you're making progress. There is an art form to being a good, effective #-disturber and Black Widow, I think you're doing just fine. Keep up the good work.
One point I'd like to make: when I was in school (back before the dinosaurs), we had art, music and academics, also P.E. We did just fine with all of that. Seems to me that having to choose between art and academics is a stupid idea, there are many other solutions.
BW, perhaps if you could get some alternative solutions together to present to admin and parents, maybe that would at least get them to thinking that there are other ways to resolve this.

First of all, major props for doing something about it. Most highschool students wont, as I saw first hand when my highschool principal conducted a purge that essentially decapitated the Black Student Union among other things, in response to rising tensions between black and latino students (guess which side Principal Ramierez took, when he should have been neutral).

Anyway, I think public image is your major weapon. You have to influence the way that families who might enroll students as well as alumni view the school. Local media are the way to go there.

A quiet, organized, well-behaved student demonstration would probably draw attention- you'd want to put out a press release to a papers and tv news ahead of time, preferably with the help of someone who has a bit of journalism experience in order to put out a serious looking release (hit up a junior college in the area, an alumnus, or a sympathetic journalism teacher at the school for that help). Let the local media know whats going to happen and when, then do it.
Doing this on campus, but near the perimeter allows you the option to invite alumni, parents, reporters, and whoever else you like without giving the school the right to remove them, as they can join in from just off school grounds (though if you expect the school to really make a big deal about it, you'd want to check with the local police department on what you can and can't do to be sure that nobody gets busted on some technicality).

The OP/ED pages of the local paper are another place to make your case- do so concisely and choose your strongest arguments.


Last but not least, be prepared to lose. In disputes over policy, you have to weigh the consequences of accepting each competing proposal over the consequences of continuing to resist after your side of loss and the consequences of leaving because you lost, and do what accomplishes the best result.

For example, if they tried to outlaw smoking I'd be against it, but once the votes were cast and the court cases over etc, if I lost, I'd deal with it, because going to jail or leaving the country or whatever else over cigarettes wouldn't make sense.

On the other hand, if it were free speech rather than smoking, I'd be prepared to fight a civil war over the matter.

So just stay within the bounds of reason and principle, and be proud that you stood up, however it turns out. Best of luck to you. If you should need research done on some relevant matter, you may U2U me, although I can't promise results- I'd be happy to at least try to give you any information you need.

This is my point of view, but as I am over 50, I'm not sure how it will be taken.

As others have said, you are to be commended for your activism, but it is my view that you should be more concerned with the quality of your education than you are with personalities.

ISACS is an accreditation board and, as you said, they can't tell you what to do with your school, but they can withhold accreditation, which is a very big deal.

This is what the ISACS site has to say about itself:

The Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) is a membership organization of more than 225 independent schools from 13 states of the Midwest region.

MISSION
The purpose of ISACS is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high achievements, social responsibility, and independence of governance, programs and policies. This goal is achieved through a rigorous accreditation process, targeted professional development programs, and focused support services.

ISACS POLICY GOALS

Maintain the accreditation process at the highest level.

Provide exceptional and accessible professional development opportunities.

Nurture and support school leadership at every level.

Create incentives and design programs to encourage the participation of each member school for the benefit of all member schools.

Ensure a deep commitment to multiculturalism and equity.

Advocate for independent education and for ISACS.

Ensure the financial health of ISACS as an organization.

MOTTO

"Excellence, Equity, and Independence"

www.isacs.org...

Without accreditation, your diploma really isn't worth the paper it's written on and, sad to say, the quality of your education will be judged by whether or not your school is accredited.

Moreover, the alumni will not be happy if the school loses its accreditation, because even if they graduated 25 years ago, it will reflect negatively on them.

Granted, the more education you get, the less important the quality of your high school becomes, because if you have a Master's degree from a Ivy League school, it really doesn't matter if you have a GED.

But, you must consider that if people are willing to spend twenty grand a year to send their kids to a school, they want to know that they are getting their money's worth and the best measure of that is, and always will be, accreditation.

If you can get the alumni or even just the parents who send their kids there to go along with saving a few popular teachers at the expense of the accreditation, more power to you, but my experience tells me that that's not likely to happen.


[edit on 2007/5/13 by GradyPhilpott]

Grady's points are quite valid and it is worth noting that while we tend to be supportive of our fellow members quite readily, we should beware of the possibility that what's happening at the school could be in fact a prudent and wise move by those responsible for the school. That is a possibility that many of us may have mistakenly written off out of hand simply because of a will to trust and support our commendably concerned and engaged fellow member.

I've seen some questionable moves made by the "authorities" in a few institutions of learning so I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that they are right either, but not knowing all of the facts it's only prudent for me to say that Blackwidow should keep an open mind.


With that in consideration, I would suggest that you entertain the need to frame further interaction with school administration in terms of how to satisfy the concerns of both sides, and having an exchange of viewpoints (you have mentioned that these teachers are keeping a lot of people from failing, and that may be something that wasn't reflected in whatever gauges ISACS and the administration looked at).

I have certainly known teachers who provided far more than standardized tests could reflect, particularly a great individual by the name of Stryker who played a critical role in preventing a friend of mine from dropping out of school, and to that end went far beyond his classroom duties. His contribution would not reflect in test scores or most other measures, as my friend was never particularly bright and was taking an elective class, not a core academic class, with Mr. Stryker.
Another would be a Mr. Wilson- one of the few gentlemen in my highschool with the strength of character and quick wit to beat me at an intellectual "fencing match" and teach me something inspite of myself- and what he taught me was considerably more valuable than any academic knowledge I gained in highschool.

If such things are being overlooked they should be brought to the school's attention politely, in an attempt to show the school that at least some of these teachers may very well have a place in the "new school".

It may also be worthwhile to query ISACS further on circumstances they may have overlooked, in hopes of getting at least a general clarification of their position from them that may at least indirectly support your position.


Thanks for adding a voice of caution Grady, it's appreciated even if it is over 50.

posted by BlackWidow23

Hi, I am a 15 year old attending an arts high school . . My art is filmmaking. The teachers here are very good. They are young and know how to relate to teenagers. All was going well and good until ISACS came. (Independent Schools Association of the Central States, an accreditation body.)

ISACS assessed our school . . we passed inspection. What they told our school was we were focusing too much on both academics and arts. We are not a collage prep school . .

On to the point. There have been growing signs of a huge reform about to take place at my school. Half of the academic department teachers have not been offered contracts. These include the teachers without which half the freshman class would be flunking. I have been fighting the school board to save them. This is where I need help.

I have been applying two kinds of pressure and its all I know how to do. I need ideas about what else I can do.

1. Negative pressure.
2. Positive pressure.

Here lies the problem. These two strategies are not working. What other kinds of things can I do to pressure the school to keep these teachers? Thanks, BW23 [Edited by Don W]

Sorry BW, my advice to you is to devote more time to film making and less time to running a school. I might mention that once upon a time the PIC - person in charge - of a school was called the Headmaster. Dissect that word into its component parts. Formal education is notably undemocratic.

I’d counsel you to do the books too, as film making is not the alpha and omega of life. Great film makers of the past had their fingers on the public’s pulse. They knew their audience. That’s why you need academics in equal portions with technical material.

Finally, even private schools must meet minimum curriculum requirements such as teaching American History, usually set by state legislatures. Laws may also require enough other subjects to make graduates eligible to attend a state university system.

Good Luck!

[edit on 5/15/2007 by donwhite]