School for Society 7: Keep It Local

Item 7: Reformers must operate at the local level.

At first glace this might seem like another obvious item. A particular school is almost by definition local, certainly in comparison with a national movement. But it is worth thinking about exactly how a reform movement school would connect to its local community.

One possible answer is the use of local information as a focus for subject matter. Math classes could analyze things like population trends or budget numbers, with teachers helping guide students through the mathematical skills necessary to understand the data. Social studies classes could focus on the historical development of elements of the local culture, and connect them to national or global events and trends. (I live in Philadelphia, and I still have no idea how the heck the Mummers got started.) They could also focus on the process through which city officials are elected and pass laws. (Why did we need two different courts in the city, anyway?) Science classes could try to explain health and environmental trends. Why has it seemed like we have had more extreme weather events in this area over the last few years? English classes could discuss work by local artists or analyze speeches made by local figures. In this way, the school would not just be local because of its location. It would be local because of the work that it does.

Another possible answer comes in the connections that the school’s students and staff form with their local community. If there are strong community groups in the area, perhaps the organizers could come to the school and do workshops for the students and staff on local issues. The students could be organized to gather information and help prepare research and other materials that the community organizations could use to advance discussion of the issues. Or the staff could take on the role of community organizers themselves and use the school as a hub for getting local residents more informed about the way that local concerns connect to affairs in the city, the state, the nation, and the world. Staff could hold workshops after class hours are over for local residents, making the school a center of education for more than just the young people who fill the halls during “normal” hours.

This is an ambitious set of projects, reminiscent of the settlement house projects of the early 20th century. Ideally the reform movement school would be planned with this purpose in mind. Teacher might be hired with the expectation that they teach fewer classes than a traditional workload, but take on added responsibilities in the community. Aides, librarians, and other staff might be hired to staff late afternoon and evening hours when the school resources would be open to the public. Students might have a block of time allocated for independent research as opposed to a designated class.

I am deliberately being pie-in-the-sky here, because a school like this would demand significant resources. Right now Philadelphia is talking about cutting all of its aides and counselors, so for me to talk about adding lots more staff to handle an increased workload beyond traditional classroom instruction may sound ridiculous. But it’s important to put the vision out there in its pure form, so people don’t take for granted that we have made deliberate choices to make our schools the way that they are. We could make different choices and make them different places.

About Dave Thomer

Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.

July 7, 2013 @ 11:19 pm

Education