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The Next Generation: Our Kids, Our Community
Community Forums
Dxantik'i Heeni Middle School
February 12, 2007
Question #1:
Describe the learning environment that you don’t want in the high schools:
Large class size. Chaos—crowds, disrespect, noise, disorder, litter. Lax or unclear expectations. Fighting and bullying. Tacit acceptance of racism and other discrimination. Expectation that all students will go to college—no vocational training. Impersonality—i.e., lack of relationships among students and between students and staff. Zero tolerance policies.
I don’t want the high school learning environment to only cater on one/dominant style of learning or culture. I don’t want students to feel lost. I don’t want strict military style environment. I don’t want the high school to shut out people or other ideas by being narrow minded. I don’t want a high school learning environment that spins to the tune or follows the beat of sports teams only…They are important though. I don’t want a learning environment that is talk at you.
Teachers dictating what will be learned and then tested—here’s the info on Ch. 3. I’ll give you the test on Tues. Sept. 28. Teachers sitting at their desks teaching. Separate departments where the science teacher never sees or plans with the social studies teacher. Students seeing all their classes as separate and not connected content wise. Sports teams that CUT—esp. in senior years. Large class sizes. Closed campus. Boundaries that cut town in half. No connections to work or vocational offerings.
I don’t want to walk through the h.s. hallways, peeking into classrooms, and see students sitting rigidly and silently in rows and rows of desks.
Threatening environment. Dark, overcrowded classrooms. My child bored. Constant lecture type teaching. Children with different learning styles to be left behind. Unrealistic boundaries.Uninspired, boring teachers who are just drawing a paycheck.
Book and lecture based classes restricted to high school classroom setting. Large classes—large in # of students. Segmented approach to learning with set__ minute periods, with separate content and each teacher teaching 120-150 students. Content isolated from community and real life context—science classes from a textbook without utilization of world of research knowledge round us 1) local scientists 2) resources from web 3) etc.
Any school environment that is not motivated, committed, or backed by community, especially the parents, students, and school administration.
An environment that lacks…Relationships with teachers. Respect for students. Safety for all students. Student engagement in academic content areas. Student led and student focused. Small classes. Choices for student regarding electives. Community partnerships and vocational for higher education. Creating schedules isn’t dictated by bus schedules. Community involvement.
Students cynical about their school. Schools that don’t offer the array of classes and activities that kids want and need.
Large classes—little or no connection with the teacher. Hands on as well as concrete classes.
Do not want a learning environment that the whole curriculum is focused on passing the H.S. exam. Do not want the status quo environment of the current H.S. Want more hands on/flexibility. Don’t want to see a school that doesn’t offer challenging classes for advanced students. Don’t want to see a school that doesn’t encourage healthy, safe atmosphere. Don’t want to see a school only focused on meeting “core.”
I don’t want kids vandalizing the schools and making it look like a bad school.
I don’t want to see one without shop facilities. I don’t want to see most students not going to class because they feel that the class is irrelevant.
Kids don’t have input into courses desired. Parents can and make requests for instructors. Teachers can’t be creative in instructional strategies. Kids don’t have choices for electives.
I do not want to see learning environments that are chaotic, where students and staff are unhappy and stressed out, where there is a lack of inspiration and sense of belonging, and where there is a lack of balance in curriculum and a lost sense of personal control choice for students who are attempting to achieve.
Inequitable class sizes/opportunities. Unsafe environment. That doesn’t help students see (connect) the relevance of education. That doesn’t tap community resources such as UAS, school to work, etc.
Question #2:
Describe the learning environment you do want to see in the high schools:
I would like the high school’s learning environment focus to be on students’ learning and not discipline. I would like it to be respectful and reflect the needs of kids and their socio-economic needs and hours. I would like students not to be stigmatized for needing breakfast or lunch—free food. I would like the learning environment be modern and follow best practices. I would like equity by forefront. I would like the learning environment to encourage and uphold innovative teachers who care about kids. I would like the environment to help the silent groups who don’t complain. Cheerful, full of smiles.
Small class sizes. Clean and non-threatening atmosphere. Students achieve—excited about curriculum. Variety of electives that relate to our local community. Class curriculums relating to each other. More parent/community involvement. Kids having a good time.
Safe environment and respectful, integrated content areas. Place based education. Students making connections to real world applications. Students challenged. Options for voc ed. or higher ed. Choices for electives. Students who are proud of their school. Students who are happy to be in school.
An inter-active environment where students are open to learning and the community is committed to supporting. An emotionally happy, upbeat atmosphere.
Students engaging in authentic, real world protects that involve members of our expert community. Students may still say they are bored, but “get read”—we all have to go to work! Students recognizing they must contribute to society in some way. Teams of tachers with small communities of learners. Each student creates a learning plan for themselves which is re-looked at each year. Two similar high schools that are not pitted against each other. Boundaries that don’t stack the achievement deck against one school (not funneling all of one middle school to one high school. Connections to the world of work and university.
A place I would want to spend my days—cheerful, friendly, respectful, clean, stimulating, safe, with opportunities that area varied and evolving, inviting to all students and to community members.
Students enjoying learning. Teachers engaged in their teaching. Opportunities for inquiry based learning which foster real time, relevant, and creative problem solving, e.g., options to solve Juneau’s waste management issue—“the dump dilemma.” Opportunities for advanced and unique students in partnership with the university, technical schools, online classes, etc. Tools/strategies for learning. Opportunities for cross-town, cross-high school exchange of students and learning opportunities. Students challenged. I
would like to see an environment that values and invites the thoughts and opinions of all students. This environment would encourage students to find relevance in every day of their learning. Students would be enthusiastically engaged in their own learning and the learning of others. They would consider their interests, ideas, relationships, and what possibilities will be open to them after high school graduation. The environment would be overflowing with options for learning.
Where all students feel that they belong. Where all students feel challenged. Where teachers are encouraged to be life-long learners and model the importance of education. Where students can connect what they earn to their lives, present and future—RELEVANCE.
The learning environment that I would like to see includes a calm sense of engagement on the part of students and staff where personal growth is evident, where all persons feel like contributors and part of a larger community, and where there is a good balance of courses available for students to participate in: academic, arts, vocational.
I want to see classes that are somewhat fun and not all boring ---read book. Work like that makes all your classes boring.
Relevant classes. Shop classes. An environment that kids want to be in. A wide array of classes with kids being able to get classes that they want.
Smaller classes. “Home” communities—where a small group of teachers work with core coursework. Brightly lit/artwork/wide hallways. Choices—for teachers, for classes.
A vibrant learning community NOT DRIVEN by tests. Kids who learn to experiment, take risks. Kids who can have a say in their education. Strong arts program—trades and rigorous AP classes.
I would like to see a school that inspires students to explore areas that will help in their future—wide variety of classes. I would like to see a school with teachers that are excited about what they teach I would like to see a school that is able to challenge the advanced students and keep them interested enough to finish. I would like to see a school with a line with the university so students can get a head start on college.
Availability of electives, esp. music, art, and shop. More relaxed classrooms, smaller learning environment. Closed campus. Later start time for H.S. Classes such as home economics, finances, cooking, business writing, etc. (internship) be offered.
Schools with kids who feel drawn to some part (if not all) of the academic experience (even if by activities). Schools with broad selection of classes and activities. All sites, well staffed.
Question #3:
Describe your student when he/she graduates from high school:
Good communicator/writer. Able to work/go to school. Have experienced language, arts. Be able to perform basic life skills functions independent—checkbook, basic cooking, know how to get info.
Prepared for their future career. Be prepared for life in general. Turn out intelligent people. Have a goal in life. Feel like it was worthwhile to be there. Feel like they have learned something and they are a better person because they came and are ready for life outside of high school.
To be able to study hard to get the grades. Is able to get and keep a job. Is socially happy and connected. Has participated in activities that were meaningful and that helped them develop character and independence (might be football, might be theater). Knows how to interact with adults in a meaningful productive way—(not report that my teacher smoked pot). Able to navigate making their way in the world and having a sense of being able to accomplish anything. A senior checklist that is rigorous yet meaningful—they know what they accomplished.
Contributing member of society. Has emotional intelligence (by Daniel Goldman). Is confident. Has short and long term goals for their life. Senior portfolio.
The student I have in mind will have heard from teachers and fellow students that she is a lovely human being with stimulating ideas. She will have mastered her required classes and at the same time dabbled in the arts and stretched her learning into areas she hadn’t been open to earlier in her life. She will have a plan for herself for the first year out of high school, and will understand how it fits into her future hopes and dreams.
Thoughtful, respectful individuals who have dreams and hopes for their future and the tools needed for that continuing journey. To realize the importance of contributing to their community and their responsibility as a citizen of this earth. To have the capacity to look beyond themselves. To have the confidence to pursue dreams. To have the analytic tools to discriminate between the meaningful and the irrelevant, the good and the bad of, the overwhelming amount of data and information available to them.
Having basic life, literary, and math skills needed to live independently and, if desired, to go on to further vocational or academic training. Having a network of family, friends, and mentors to support transition to adulthood. Having a sense of competence and worth to self and community.
I would like Juneau’s high school students to be confident and convinced through their overwhelmingly positive educational experience that they can do whatever they work at doing! Every student! I would like the student going on to work or study cosmetology to feel just as important and valued as one going on to college. I would like every student to learn that failure is a part of life and that there is no real failure except not trying. I would like students to learn to take care of themselves and care about other people and their community and know there is the power of one.
Happy. Self-determined. Self-sufficient. Self-motivated. Thankful.
Academically ready for college. Excited about the future. Grateful to the people who’ve helped him/her to that point. Excellent communication skills. Have a plan for the future.
I would like my children to feel confident and be prepared academically, personally, and recreationally to be successful in college or other next steps where they are able to become increasingly more independent financially, emotionally, and eventually able to create an adult life/home of their own.
My daughter will have had a well balanced education with a good basis for starting college at any university she chooses. (Also a good idea about basic life i.e., economics, family financing) She will come away with the feeling of good years to look back on with opportunities of sorts and other extra curricular activities.
Prepared to enter whatever academic or training opportunity they desire. Confident to take on the world based on past achievement or goals met, or broadly prepared to seek out what they want even if totally unsure.
Confident learner. Knows how to learn—ask questions, access info, write papers, etc. Feel that she is adequately prepared for college.
I want to have learned how to be prepared for the real world, how to cook, how to pay bills and stuff—balance your check book, and fix stuff.
I would like to have a student who is well rounded, willing to take risks, and be open to new experiences. To be a responsible community member and a good human being who can deal with a diverse group of people.
Grounded in math and English especially. Exposed to language, art, music, theater, and other non-core classes (well rounded). Have a solid workplace exposure (skills). A student who has participated in leadership, community advocacy and service. Comes away from school with many wonderful memories of his school experience.
Question #4:
What advice to you have for making the best learning environment happen?
Keep parents involved. Support the teachers and lobby the legislature. Strong communication.
Room environment made “exciting” inviting to student. Low distractions. Smaller teacher ratio/student. Evaluation plan. Closed campus. Arts, sports, and music available.
They should have a large choice of classes but not big nor really small. It should start an hour later. Good teachers.—not lame, boring ones.
Make sure the students get what they want out of classes. Make sure the teachers are able to teach well. Make it a positive place to be in. Shop classes. Open campus. NOT a later start time.
Listen to students. Consider all options. Take the time to do it right.
Be responsive to concerns. Needs to have smaller classes, strong sense of community with a balance of offerings: academic for all levels of ability, arts, vocational, and sports. Facilitated by prepared, motivated, skilled, and supported staff. Evaluated.
Later start time. Closed campus. School “communities” where there is a smaller learning environment. Opportunities for all schools to interact with each other.
Listen, reflect, and be proud of the decisions you make. Equitable.
To make each high school balanced with academics sports, activities, voc. Tech opportunities, and community involvement. Hopefully no matter which school your student goes to, a person will felt hey are getting the best there is to offer. I would like to see a closed campus at both schools. Keep kids focused on school while in school.
Offer full array of classes and activities at all sites, can provide students easy means to access without sacrificing something else dear. Seek the funding to make it happen.
Think outside of the box. Two different schools, two separate programs. Not two watered down schools. Diversity—not every students fits one mold of learning. Academic advisors. Open boundaries. Flexible schedules so students can take a class at opposite schools. Community can’t support traveling athletic teams. A lot of intramurals to et students involved in extra curricular. Freshman and sophomores have not developed the maturity for open campus. Community involvement. Community too small.
Think creatively. For example, with sports teams and reality of limited field/rink capacity, consider offering sports, say hockey, as a class, thereby allowing two teams to schedule ice time reasonably during regular working hours. Choose schedule strategies which allow for integrated learning and team teaching. Consider rebirth of the Phoenix program, or elements thereof, which made it a particularly rich learning environment. Allow students to take classes at different schools—cross town exchange). Set high expectations of all students (take to hart—thinking K-16). Provide supportive structures to enable students to reach the challenge. Offer more art!
Choose/agree upon a program that is student centered. Move teachers into new assignments with clear expectations that this is the job. Both schools are similar but provide many options for learning. Careful with boundaries-demographics are very important. Let juniors/seniors finish at JDHS if they choose—see what they want to do. Create teams of teachers who are then trained on how to work together and plan instruction together—projects. Senior checklist. School to work Program. Teachers need to extend GLEs into curriculum to boos student achievement—not teach as discrete skills. Lower class sizes 120-150 students is too many for teachers.
Keep the libraries open after school with tutors to help or at least have evening hours for study/computer use. Allow some students to have class times that fit their schedules/obligations. Let teachers go who are under performing and who cannot or will not value or inspire kids—in order to TEACH. Have a better free food system that doesn’t stigmatize kids. Cultural art of our local people and global art everywhere! Encourage ALL children to participate in activities. Have more activities that minority students want. I don’t know what—tryouts be done with numbers not names—use a panel of judges with diverse groups. Respect. Teach teachers to smile at kids. More electives/shop classes.
Treat each child as if he or she was your own.
Intelligent, caring teachers. Integrated classes. Service learning. Counselors connected with students and teachers and parents. Volunteers galore. REAL world learning. Class options for tech prep, certified programs like child care, dental assist, etc., connections with mentors, taking longer to learn something, lots of arts classes. Healthy food prepared by students.
All requires leadership: Schools making contact and connection with community—parents and public. That there be a sustainable buy-in process to the school programs. There be stakeholder accountability. There be consistent follow through re/school strategy.
Keep the pupil/teacher ratio low. Crate a safe, non-threatening atmosphere. Offer a variety of electives. Hire teachers who like kids and want to teach kids.
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