Shaquila, Public Ally

A *what*?

Public Allies is a nonprofit organization which develops the next generation of leaders. They place these leaders in other nonprofits to help us achieve our goals. An AmeriCorps program, PA has a "track record of results and impact" which has "led to recognition and honors from the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, The Bridgespan Group [our faves!], McKinsey & Co [another fave!], Fast Company, and others."

Domus has two Allies: Christine, who's working as an educational advocate in our group homes in Stamford, and Shaquila (above), Domus Academy's attendance outreach worker. She works with kids to make a plan so they're at school (and on time!) every day and supports parents and caregivers in their role making that happen. 

You'd be surprised at the barriers which exist for students being timely. What if you're staying with a friend or family member because your family had to give up your apartment? What if staying with someone else meant your school bus wouldn't come get you at your temporary place since you're not on the lease? (true story) What if you can't get a ride and you don't have money for bus tokens? What if your only option for a ride is at 9:30am?...Do you just accept you'll always miss first period?

Bottom line for students: If you're not at school, you're not learning. So Shaquila calls some students at 6am every morning to make sure they're awake and getting ready. She rides the city bus with one every day. She drives to get a young person if he or she hasn't show up at school. She calls moms and caregivers every morning to make sure *they're* up and getting their kids ready--and while she has them on the phone, she talks about job openings if they're unemployed, or skills workshops happening in the city, or upcoming cultural opportunities.

Then she helps everyone--parents and students--make and stick to a plan for getting to school on time, every day.

No blame (what does that solve?)--we just figure it out so students are in school and ready to learn. We're thrilled to partner with Public Allies to have more help in educating a group of talented, bright students who need a different environment in which to succeed. 

Cute kids!

Can't write a whiny post and not give you a taste of what's happening at school...

Kids and staff have a serious discussion after lunch

Hey, what's the deal?

We've been at it (the blog) since June, and only one comment? (No complaints about that one--a big cheer for Maurice!)

But we'd love to hear from you...we know you're out there (we see all the hits--we know you're reading). So tell us what stories you like, which are just meh, and what you'd like to see, and *please * comment on stuff you like.

Like we teach the kids, constructive feedback is good. Don't worry, we can take it. :)

Maybe, to get you started, we'll throw out a list of possible story topics, and you can tell us which sounds good:

• a profile of a family advocate and what his/her day is like
• a profile of a new student
• what our reading specialist does all day
• our Wish List (hint: We help families with Christmas...let us know if you'd like to adopt a child in a family struggling to make ends meet)
• a profile of a returning student
• our approach to extended-day programming and what we do it that way

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

Music to their ears

When you're surrounded by dozens of children who love music and who also need to believe in their ability to do great things, what do you do? Well, a lot of things, but one thing you definitely do is start a band! We have some very talented musicians in our student body who are itching to start producing their own music. Luckily, we also employ some talented musicians who've volunteered to help the kids get their musical venture off the ground.

So, we have talented kids and dedicated staff members...but no equipment. Do you have an instrument you can donate? Do you know someone who is connected to a band or music store? Even a few instruments can get us started! Thanks for your help in developing the talents of our young people.

2 to 3 bass guitars
2 to 3 electric guitars
1 to 2 bass amplifiers
1 to 2 electric guitar amplifiers
1 to 2 keyboards
1 to 2 keyboard amplifiers
2 drums sets with hardwear
guitar stands
PA system

You never know what motivational tool will do the trick to help a child push through her academic struggles...often times, it's passions such as music or art. Let's not take the chance we're missing the opportunity to help a student find the one thing in life that can get him through tough times.

This isn't your old school culture...or is it?

Schools are communities, and communities of all kinds express themselves through their culture. At Domus Academy, like Domus' two charter schools in Stamford, our culture is different from that of many other schools. It takes some getting used to, but that culture exists to remove all distractions and help students be ready to learn--it also helps children learn skills they'll need to be successful later in life.

• We set up each classroom, be it art or math or social studies, to have the same whiteboard arrangement and information. This saves time--time kids can use learning something instead of on figuring out where to find an assignment.
• We require students to mentally and physically prepare themselves for learning: In the hallways, they must be quiet and physically still (so as not to distract themselves or other students).
• We require uniforms, which means kids don't have to worry about having the "right" shoes or jeans. (It also reduces funds a parent or caregiver must spend on trendy school clothes). 
• We require students to tuck in their shirts and wear a belt so they look neat; learning is fun but also serious business. 
• We tell kids all the time what we expect--we want them to succeed, and the faster they figure things out, the faster they get to the good stuff.
• We set high expectations: We expect them to behave appropriately, to focus, to work hard. Adults who cannot or will not set high expectations for students cannot be part of our school community.
• We require students shake a teacher's hand and look him or her in the eye as they enter each classroom, every time: These are fundamental skills everyone needs to be successful in life. (Plus, it's just polite.)
• We never give up on a child. There's always a place for a young person to find success, and while we expect a lot from a young person, we also expect adults responsible for his success (ourselves included) to find or create a place where each child to reach his full potential.

Did your school have a strong culture? How important is culture in creating a successful educational environment? Who's doing a great job at creating that culture? (We like visiting other schools who are getting it right.)

First day!

For many Domus Academy students, today is a day of culture shock.

"Tuck in your shirt, please."
"We'll walk down the hall when we're in a straight line and are all quiet."

But for Esteban, these rules are no surprise.

Esteban, who's now in 7th grade, tells me he got in "lots of fights last year." But he's glad to be back at Domus Academy this year and happy to see so many staff members have returned. "This year," he says firmly, "I'm going to be respectful."

He's also going to be a leader, which he tells me later as he helps his classmates stay focused on how to properly enter the classroom, which doesn't include the current chatter and horseplay.

Esteban has his eyes on the prize. And through this blog, you'll meet many more students who do as well.

Check out our photo album with snaps from Day 1.