The Power of One

"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced."

   - James Baldwin (1924-1987), American writer

I haven't been involved in the formal education of children for a long time. My now grown sons graduated from high school almost 15 years ago, and when they began their higher education I pretty much put aside my thoughts of PTA meetings, teacher conferences and how they were doing on their report cards. Even so, I still have an interest in what's going on in our educational system and try to keep myself informed by reading the newspaper, magazines, and listening to the evening news. I'm sorry to say, that with few exceptions, what I read and hear is mostly negative.

Occasionally, however, I do stumble across something that gives me hope that our K-12 schools aren't quite as bad as some in the media would have me believe. Tonight as I was reading C-Log, I ran across a post by Patrick McDougal that did just that. Patrick links to an article by Dr. Holly Robinson, senior vice president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

Dr. Robinson tells the story of Dr. Wanda West, who became superintendent of the Twiggs County public school system in 1998. Twiggs County is one of the poorest counties in Georgia, with a per capita income almost 40% below the state average, and its school system's test scores were at the bottom in the state. There were other problems as well:

"Polarization was everywhere. Cliques wanted control of power and money; no one trusted anyone. Principals were 'building holders,' not instructional leaders and, sadly, teachers had lost faith in the central administration and board. Parents were at their wits' end and begging for change...Facilities were dark...and in dire need of repair and renovation...The high school was deemed not safe by parents, even described as out of control. There were allegations of drugs, no faith in the teachers or administration, and students were literally out of control."

To say this lady was faced with a challenge would be a gross understatement. She realized almost immediately that a focus on the children had somehow been lost and set about changing that. How she went about this encourages me that there are still individuals in public education who, even in the face of great resistance, can make a difference. Dr. West certainly has:

"She visited facilities at all hours without notification. She arrived at work on time, and expected the same of others, and she demanded participation and accountability...(she gained) for the first time accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...she uncovered the system's hidden talents...she (went) to the community with a survey of expectations for parents, teachers and administrators."

Six years after West arrived, Twiggs County students have reaped the rewards brought about by the changes she initiated. Their teachers are more committed, their parents more involved, their facilities in better condition and their test scores are up. Sometimes all it takes to get a bad situation turned around is one individual who believes that something positive can be done and is willing to devote the time and energy to make it happen.

It's an inspiring story. Read the whole thing.

Update: More about the Twiggs County success story can be found here.