Meet Christopher

What do you think of when you hear about a kid from Newark, New Jersey? Do you imagine an articulate scholar who is a leader among his peers with goals and a bright future? Probably not. Most people imagine a kid from Newark would be someone without a future, destined to be connected to drugs, gangs and crime. To challenge your thinking about kids from challenged neighborhoods, I would like to introduce you to Christopher. He is now a student at St. John's University in New York City, and graduate of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark. What I want you to know about Chris is that he is a normal kid, who happened to be born into a troubled city, but who was provided a chance to overcome the adversity all around him.

There is absolutely no reason that children growing up in poverty can't be successful. Sure, it's much tougher for them. Many grow up without fathers or books or even enough food to eat. Many in education's anti-reform camp will tell you it's impossible and that schools shouldn't be held accountable for the success of students of poverty. They tell us that unless the government is ready to step in and cure all of the ills of a poor city like Newark, there is no way for the schools to fix things for these kids. Chris is living proof that schools can and do make a difference. St. Benedict's Prep, also known as "The Hive," uses a student leadership strategy to help their young men become responsible adults. It is an amazing place that operates on a fraction of the per-pupil spending that is provided in all of the public schools that surround it. They choose to operate school about 200 days a year because that's what the boys need. They require students to participate in extracurricular activities because they know this will support academic achievement. They choose to spend time on relationships because so many of their students are lacking male role models outside of school. They expect every student to go to college and provide a curriculum that truly prepares them to do so. They expect every young man to come to school, on time, prepared for learning every day. Attendance at "The Hive" is normally near 98%. 

I am growing weary of the rhetoric that tells us kids of poverty can't succeed. Most of my career has been spent with these children. What ails them in school is the reluctance of adults to make decisions that consider children's needs first. We need to create schools that are havens in horrible neighborhoods. We need to believe in all kids, regardless of the circumstances they were born into. Policies on testing and teacher evaluation do not prevent us from doing this. If we were to stop arguing and start focusing on our kids - really doing what is in their best interest - we would have a lot more success stories like Christopher's.