Melissa,
Before I take a summer break from writing, I wanted to share some thoughts and ask some questions about the "keys to success" in education. As college professors, we are fortunate that the vast majority of students in our classrooms are well-prepared to face the rigors of higher education. Our students come from all walks of life, and while some are people of privilege, many of them have faced tremendous obstacles to graduate from high school and attend college. I am wondering why, despite some of the toughest circumstances, some students succeed despite the odds against them. It is a subject taken up by a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times.
In our blog, we have written extensively about the circumstances that many children of color face in their communities. High infant mortality rates; environmental racism that leads to higher rates of asthma; a crumbling urban infrastructure; unequal school facilities and resources; and lack of access to good nutrition are just a few of the problems that we have highlighted on this blog. We could include on this "hit list," indifferent and hostile teachers - like the one Malcolm X talked about in his autobiography who could not conceive that Malcolm was capable of being a lawyer. But despite these circumstances, and many more, some children will meet these obstacles and overcome them. How? What are some of those keys that make the difference in educational sucess?
Can one outstanding teacher, in a sea of indifferent teachers, who offers words of encouragement and who sees a special quality in an individual student be the catalyst for success? Can a summer program that provides a few weeks of gainful employment and a sense of purpose be a catalyst for success? Can early exposure to a powerful book, with a story that resonates with the reader's own experience, be that catalyst for success?
I am thinking about this as I prepare to attend a recognition ceremony tonight for the 25th anniversary of the Oliver Scholars Program. This program selects 7th grade African American and Latino/a students, offers them support and guidance as they apply to some of the most selective independent schools in the country, and continues to support them through the college admissions process. Many moons ago, as a 12 year old, I was chosen to become an Oliver Scholar and that program would change my life in ways that I could not imagine at that young age. At a moment in my life, in which life circumstances could have led me down a radically different path, it was the Oliver Program that encouraged me, challenged me, and equipped me with tools I still use today. For some of my friends, it was programs like A Better Chance or Prep for Prep. These programs have produced doctors and lawyers, teachers and professors, poets and dancers. Maybe many of these students who have succeeded in their chosen vocations without something like the Oliver Program; but I know without a doubt, given my personal circumstances, that this program made all the difference.
As the school year comes to a close, as we celebrate graduations, commencements, children moving to the next grade, and all the year-end educational achievements, I would love for all our readers to weigh in on whatever thing, either large or small, contributed positively to their educational experiences. Here is your space to thank those teachers, programs, writers, neighbors, and family members (or favorite bloggers), who taught you the power of education as a priceless gift. For me: my thanks to John Hoffman, the founder of the Oliver Scholars Program, and Albert G. Oliver, distinguished New York City public school educator and activist who devoted his life to the children of New York.
Yolanda
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