Hi.
For the past seven years, I have had the luxury of being the principal
of Washington State's largest dropout re-engagement program for 16-21 year olds.
Call me crazy, but I want to enroll all the high school students
who have left high school without a diploma
or are projected to not graduate by age 21 for whatever reason.
Taking on the responsibility to tease out the talent and potential in these students
have been exciting, rewarding, challenging, and exhausting all at once.
What a rollercoaster of emotions, right?
After working with thousands of high school dropouts firsthand,
I have determined three key ingredients to student educational success:
offer students individualized supports, a variety of credential options
with opportunity for shared ownership, and authentic conversations.
This provides students with the flexibility, clarity, motivation,
and hope to succeed.
and it forces them to walk to the beat of their own drums.
For years, kids say they've been given cookie cutter options,
and were expected to do what they were told with little buy in.
While this works for some, it doesn't for many.
Here's an example of why we need to offer students individualized supports,
a buffet of credential options instead of a prescribed five course meal,
and opportunity for real open conversation.
A student named Juan expressed interest in enrolling in our school.
He felt like our school was uniquely positioned
to positively influence his life immediately
with long-term college career and life-ready impacts.
You see, Juan dropped out of a nearby high school at age 16
because he had adult responsibilities that served as a barrier to his attendance.
Because he lived in poverty and his mother worked a lot,
he was responsible for taking care of his younger siblings
and getting them to and from school.
Also, he needed to make money to put food on the table.
Juan felt like folks really didn't understand his challenges
or cared enough to listen and really help.
He felt like he was caught up in a school system that didn't meet his needs.
He heard that we could offer high school equivalency diploma, high school diploma,
industry certifications, and two-year college degree for free.
And he could earn course credit while working,
and flex his schedule around his family and learning needs.
Juan heard others say that we not only say we care
we show kids we care and really help them.
Juan submitted the necessary paperwork for entry considerations,
but what Juan didn't know is that his application was stalled
for academic and behavior reasons.
Juan was invited to meet with me.
He was told to come prepared to discuss his prior behavior, his needs,
his commitment to move forward, and hear about our school expectations,
our resources, and my leadership style.
A decision regarding his entry would be made at the meeting.
I greeted Mr. Juan and brought him back to my office.
I told him that I wanted to see him in person to have real, open conversations
about some of the things I saw in his disciplinary records.
I told him many principals would look at his records and say,
(laughter) "I don't think so."
Further, I told him I want to enroll him in my school,
but I have concerns around his decision-making and around safety.
I told him kids can't learn in an unsafe environment.
Further, I added that I had concerns regarding his laundry list of infractions
that involved him not following the directions of adults,
not going to class as scheduled,
arriving to school high, and fighting.
I asked him, "Is this you?"
Juan admitted to doing some stupid stuff.
He also shared that there were times when he moved around a lot.
Also, he indicated that he didn't have a place to lay his head or food to eat.
He admitted to hanging out with the wrong crowds,
who influenced some of his poor decision-making.
Most importantly, he owned his prior behavior,
and indicated that he was ready to change and move forward.
He said he was going to be a father and he needed to help finding a job.
He added, "I'm not a bad person. You won't have any problems out of me."
I thanked Juan for sharing, and I summarized what I thought I heard.
I told Juan that I want him in my school, and I believe that he can be successful.
I added, I'm not gonna be arguing with you,
you're not going to be laying hands around here
I'm going to hold it down with security.
I gave him individualized instructions and told him,
if you have a problem with a teacher,
I want you to have a conversation at the appropriate time and in the right tone.
We role-played what that looks like and sounds like.
We also role-played other scenarios,
to ensure that Juan understood his escape options
and that he knew fighting was not allowed.
I asked him if he could handle my expectations, and he said he could.
I fist bumped him, and told him it's not gonna be easy,
but we're gonna make it happen.
Juan received individualized instructions as his next steps.
He was told to chat with a social worker about housing, food, clothes, and bills.
Also, he was told to chat with the school counselor
about the high school equivalency credential pathway
and job training courses.
He was encouraged to meet with our employment specialist
to discuss resume and interview help.
Also, Juan and I chatted about healthcare and family planning appointment
with a nearby health clinic.
We also discussed on site free mental health and substance abuse counseling.
As I was escorting Juan to the secretary for enrollment,
I offered to stop him by the school store for a quick shopping spree.
As Juan entered the store, his eyes grew larger and he smiled.
He asked if he could grab hair shampoo, a pair of pants,
toothpaste, and a toothbrush for him and his younger siblings, and I said yes.
He thanked me and indicated he hadn't had that kind of support in a long time.
I am proud to say that Juan took advantage of our educational options.
He agreed to attend classes from July to April,
also he attended school three days a week, from 3pm to 7pm,
with an agreement to complete the rest of his work elsewhere.
Surprisingly, Juan attended class more than agreed,
and completed his high school equivalency diploma faster than we expected.
I am proud to say that with the help of our post-secondary transitional specialist
he landed a job with a partnering construction company.
Now, I have to tell you, that Juan's educational journey wasn't all roses.
Kids don't change long established habits overnight.
There were times when Juan needed reminders of his roles and responsibility
on his educational journey.
There were times when my patience wore thin.
Above all, Juan knew I cared about him and would hold him accountable for his choices
with no control over his consequences if warranted.
It's important to note that Juan was just one of many students.
all with their own story to tell.
Some students have kids of their own, and unstable housing environments
or are homeless.
There are others who've experienced many traumatic experiences.
In closing, as educators, we must innovate and revitalize
our antiquated educational systems and structures to keep kids in school.
Having students wander aimlessly in the streets
without college, career, and life-ready skills
serves as a barrier for schools and communities to thrive peacefully
and progress towards their goals.
Can you imagine what it would look like and sound like
when every child experienced educational success?
I can, and it will take all of us
to create different environments for living and learning.
Thank you for listening.