Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Bright Futures Coordinator: This is what's wrong with the people of Joplin

In a response to an earlier Turner Report post, Bright Futures Joplin Coordinator Melissa Winston tackles those, including the author of this blog, who have claimed that there is no evidence to support the oft-stated claim that Bright Futures is responsible for Joplin's increased graduation rates.

Winston says data exists to back up the statement, but it has not been put together yet and she will let us know when it is.

She also explains what is wrong with the people of Joplin, noting that "what bothers me in Joplin is that people have their minds so made up that they aren't willing to come to the table with an openness to listening," and "it's time for the people of Joplin to stop firing arrows and start coming to the table with solutions and a willingness to listen and learn."

Winston's complete comment is printed below:

I do not and will not take credit for all of the success that Joplin Schools has had with graduation rates. Are we a piece of a big puzzle that has helped? Yes. Have we done things that are valuable to the system and helped kids? Yes. But the credit is not all ours - there are thousands of people who have worked VERY hard to make a difference for kids, and they all should receive the applause! 

I will tell you that we do have five years of data to show the impact of Bright Futures, but we have to have time to process and extract it all to show the real outcomes. We're working on that and will report it out once we have it in hand. But to your point...I realize that there are different philosophies about education and how it should be done (I've learned a lot about that in the last two years!). What I fear is that there are some people who don't have a holistic understanding of the WHY. It's not just about passing kids and letting them go on through even if they didn't do the work. In fact, that's not what should be happening at all! People need to have a solid understanding of a) mental health, b) research on brain development and the impact of poverty and trauma on educational outcomes, and c) a willingness to make systemic changes to help those at-risk kids have the supports they need to overcome. An authoritarian/disciplinarian approach with those at-risk kids does not work. It breeds bigger and more problems and continues the generational poverty cycle when those kids don't graduate. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results, than education has been (for many years) very guilty of not changing its approach towards at-risk kids and families. 

What is being done now, though not agreed upon by all, are evidence-based practices that are proven to make a difference in some of the lowest performing schools in the country with the highest percentages of at-risk kids. Do we have plenty of room to get better? YOU BET. But it takes a lot of time and effort to turn around a big ship. 

What bothers me in Joplin is that people have their minds so made up that they aren't willing to come to the table with an openness to listening. I have been guilty of that in the past, but no more. We are BETTER TOGETHER, and it's time for the people of Joplin to stop firing arrows and start coming to the table with solutions and a willingness to listen and learn. But I can promise I have never "made up" a child or a story, nor will I ever. I will not play the hate mongering game that has been a part of the Joplin culture for the last year. You can spend all your time placing blame, or you can spend your time finding solutions. I, for one, choose to work for solutions. The invitation is open to all who are willing to listen, learn, and grow together to join in.

The complete post and all comments can be found at this link.

***
In Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School, teachers and students tell the story of the events of May 22, 2011, that changed their lives forever and about their first year in a warehouse school. The book is available locally at Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe, and The Book Guy in Joplin, Pat's Books in Carthage, and Cato's Connection in Lamar. The book is available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon.com at the links below.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heres what bothers me about Bright Futures and its relationship to Joplin Schools. TJ, College Heights and McCauley continue to attracrt students who are wanting to excel. Joplin tries to attract kids by telling them its easy, come here you wont have to do anything and you will graduate.That is why test scores continued to drop under CJ Huff. He was busy building Bright Futures so he would have a place to fall and he forgot he was hired to educate our kids. I dont hate Bright Futures, but I hate that it is linked to Joplin Schools in any way. It is past time to drop Bright Futures from Joplin Schools. Data may be there but everyone here knows CJ lowered standards so much graduation rates had to get better. Unfortunately it was the majority of students who were their to learn that suffered.

Anonymous said...

"what bothers me in Joplin is that people have their minds so made up that they aren't willing to come to the table with an openness to listening," Hmmm, or with an openess to their wallets and purses???

Anonymous said...

I will tell you that we do have five years of data to show the impact of Bright Futures, but we have to have time to process and extract it all to show the real outcomes.
What this really means, we continue to look for positive things, massage the data, and recalculate the data.
Bright Futures is a slush fund for public employees to use hidden from elected school board members.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I hear Bright Futures I dont know if that is Joplin Schools or not. Does this lady work for the R8?

Anonymous said...

If Melissa Winston has direct contact with children in the district who live in homes where even their most basic needs aren't met--and I assume that she does--then I'm sure she must care about them very much. I don't doubt her sincerity in that regard, but after reading her posts, I have some advice for her to consider. I hope she reads this because I'm being sincere, too.

1. When you talk or write to people, don't sound arrogant and condescending. Better yet, don't fall into the trap of being arrogant and condescending. People don't need advanced degrees in education with studies in brain-based learning to understand that kids who are hungry, ill-fed, and poorly clothed, who have never had their eyes checked or gone to a dentist, need help if they're going to make it through school and have a good life. People also don't have to be experts in mental health and education research to know that kids also need emotional support, to know that somebody sees them as individuals and cares what happens to them. Don't underestimate the intelligence, experience, and common sense of people in the community who care enough about kids, their own and everybody else's, to be concerned about what's happening in the district.

2. Be glad when parents and district patrons ask tough questions and expect answers. Choosing not to be interested is far easier, and it achieves nothing.

3. Be aware that before solutions to problems can be found, problems must first be identified through open and honest discussion, not identified solely by someone in a managerial position. There's no room for ego in the process, and being defensive is counterproductive. It seems to me that Dr. Ridder has made this point numerous times since his arrival and that he is determined to go through the process in the district and in the community. Adopt his thinking and attitude toward others and take a page from his playbook.

4. Think less about needing people to "come to the table" and listen with open minds. Think more about listening to others with an open mind and a genuine desire to find out what they think, what they know, and what they want for the kids in the district. You will find this idea in Dr. Ridder's playbook, too. I don't think he could make it any clearer that it's essential not to lecture people in the district, but to listen to them.

5. Don't ever harbor the idea that Bright Futures has a monopoly on caring about kids in the district and meeting their needs. Teachers, principals, cafeteria ladies, school custodians, bus drivers, school nurses, school secretaries, and counselors have been doing it for decades, independently and out of their own pockets, and they're still doing it, every day. I imagine most of this support system fell into place when the first school in Joplin opened its doors. In fact, I'm sure of it because being compassionate is nothing new.

That's all, except I hope I don't sound arrogant or condescending. I don't mean to. I just had some things I wanted to say as someone who has been a strong supporter of Joplin R-VIII for a long time.

Anonymous said...

11:46 - Well reasoned, articulate and compassionate - refreshing! Bravo!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes! So spot on. I happen to know Melissa, and she IS arrogant and horribly self - serving. In fact, I think she would throw just about anyone under the bus in-order to advance her career. She is essentially Kim Vann Jr. I can't stand the hypocritical "Christian" brand that Melissa and others like her promote.