When I told my kids in May that I wouldn’t be returning the next year and said that I’d be moving schools, one of my students, Annie (not her real name) made a comment that I’ll never forget.  She said “why are you going to that school? You know the kids there aren’t any better.”  That stuck with me all summer long as I prepared for my new job.

I had visited the school numerous times and was confident in the commitment of the staff to excellence and their ability to push our kids to great heights.  Still, I wondered what type of student I would encounter on day one.  Would I meet students that were committed and driven to excellence?  Or was I really walking into a situation similar to the one I’d left?

Four months into my new position, I would have to report back to Annie that in some ways she was dead on, and in other ways, she was completely wrong.  Annie was correct in that regardless of the school, kids are kids.  Where ever you go as a teacher, students need structure.  And if the structure isn’t provided, they will get away with whatever you let them.  If you let kids talk in class with no consequences, they will talk in class.  If you allow them to talk back to adults in authority, rest assured they will make sure their voices are heard! And kids anywhere will always test the system, regardless of how well it’s built.

She was correct also in that the kids I teach now come from very similar circumstances from the ones I left.  The vast majority of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch.  Some come from broken homes with parents absent.  Others have already experienced such extreme tragedy in their short lives that I’m continually astonished at their ability to push through it and continue to achieve at a high level.

Annie was also wrong in many ways.  She was wrong in the ability level of my students coming into my classroom.  Whereas at my old school I had to take an entire month to re-mediate basic algebra skills (I teach Geometry), I could jump in on day one and trust those skills to already be in place.

She was also wrong in that almost all my kids are on a mission to a place that matters to them and is attainable.  I can’t say the same for my previous position.  At my old school the most common response to the question “what do you want to do when you grow up” was football or basketball player.  While this is a lofty goal, I taught very few students who could make this a reality.

By contrast, at my new school more common answers are architect, veterinarian, doctor and even activist.  And what amazes me is that when I press them, my students have a plan in mind of how to get there.  Many of them have already worked internships in their potential career fields through our summer growth experiences.

So what produces this difference?  There are many factors that play into it, but I believe that in the end the big picture all boils down to the environment created by an achievement focused school culture.  We set the expectation from day one that all our students will attend a four year college.  And we back it up with our actions.  In the high school we devote considerable resources to supporting students in their vision for their own college-centered future.  For example, we have several staff on hand to work with our students in preparing college applications.  We also start our students as sophomores taking practice ACT exams 4 times a year to get them accustomed to the format.  And all our juniors take an ACT focused seminar.

We also build this culture daily through our actions as a staff by never letting the little things slide.  It starts at the top with our leadership who set the vision and the teachers who enforce it daily.  Uniforms must be, well, uniform, homework must be turned in and anything less than the best is unacceptable.  And while our kids might get frustrated sometimes at the way we focus on the small things, I know that they understand that we do this because we care about them and want to see them attain their dreams and goals in life.

Critics often say that this type of achievement driven culture is only possible at schools like charters that have considerable freedom in setting their culture.  I can think of numerous counter examples to that assertion.  Some are right here in Memphis where I teach. For example, consider one of our local high schools, Manassas High.  As of 2012, all graduating Manassas seniors had to submit at least one college acceptance letter (not just application letter) to graduate!  This drive for success paid off as Manassas saw its graduation rate improve by 20 percent in just three years.  While the additional resources and freedoms of charters help, what’s been achieved at Manassas can absolutely be achieved elsewhere.  I don’t think anything says it better than this quote form the principal himself:

“We don’t talk about graduating from high school anymore. That is what you are supposed to do. Yes, I understand some things take time, but if you are going to re-culture a place, you’ve got to have high standards,” he said.

So yes, Annie, you were right.  Kids are no different no matter where you teach.  But the difference in outcomes, the difference in achievement is driven by the environment created by a strong school culture.  And with strong leadership and committed staff, it’s possible to create this type of culture regardless of the type of school in which one works.  We might not be able to change the kid, but a relentless focus on developing an achievement driven culture can.

By Jon Alfuth

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