Schools

Students Speak Out About Achievement Gaps, Success

For the Farmington African American Parent Network, Monday night's forum is a mission accomplished.

Monday night's Farmington African American Parent Network (FAAPN) forum, "It Takes a Village," was filled with questions and some surprising answers.

Two dozen students spoke frankly from the auditorium stage at during the event. Farmington school board member Sheilah Clay, who co-founded FAAPN with a group of parents in March 2009, said the students were selected by principals and other school administrators from Harrison, and high schools and and middle schools.

Students first answered questions posed by radio personality, speaker and author Frankie Darcell, who is also a parent.

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"We cannot get on the same plane unless we really understand what our children are thinking," Darcell said.

And the students did share what they were thinking, on topics that ranged from their involvement with extracurriculars (most are) to whether they plan on pursuing some type of postsecondary education (all were).

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The students agreed that peer pressure from friends is a major challenge when it comes to studying and getting good grades. However, they also shared strategies to combat that pressure, from finding a good adult role model to simply finding new friends.

Deon Jackson, an East Middle School eight-grader, said he just buckles down when it's time to do his homework. "If you're not completely focused on getting your work done, you won't get it done," he said.

Asked what kept them motivated to do well in school, those who played sports said knowing their grades could keep them off the field or the court provided a powerful incentive. For others, it was the good feeling that comes with accomplishment and knowing their parents value good grades.

Students shared the characteristics of a good teacher and also talked a little about the teachers who make their lives a little more difficult by stereotyping them. However, when asked whether they had ever observed or been affected by a teacher stereotyping, only a few students tentatively raised their hands.

Questions from the audience got students talking about how much television they watch, although it appeared students spend more time on their cell phones and on the Internet. One parent wanted to know whether the students got discouraged when they heard about the achievement gap and lower minority test scores; students said the statistics motivated them even more to achieve.

Danaisha McGruder, a senior at Farmington High School, said she was inspired to form a student-led group, under the direction of Assistant Principal David Reese, to work with mostly freshmen and sophomores who are struggling academically.

Another parent wanted to know how to motivate a child who had just given up on succeeding, and students suggested going to teachers to ask for help and connecting the student with someone who has the qualities the parents want to see in their child.

That last question really touched Clay.

"(The parents) were asking for help from kids, and that empowers the them," she said of the students. "I'm just so proud of them."

She and FAAPN President Wendell Browning both hoped the attendance would be higher, but Clay said they realized this is finals week in Farmington schools. The group still accomplished what it set out to do, Browning said.

"We wanted to engage parents," he said. "When you have engaged parents, you have students like these."

"I think the students were amazing, to be able to speak frankly and openly in front of their parents," Darcell said after the event. She felt that having other students around provided a kind of "safety net," and the longer they spoke, the more comfortable they got.

Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Sue Zurvalec said the forum was valuable on several levels. The adults had the opportunity to hear students "speak their truth," which helps with understanding and meeting students' needs. The students, she said, got a valuable experience in leadership.

"They're the experts tonight, and they learn from that. They grow, and it makes them better leaders," she said. "This also brings us all together with the same focus."

The next FAAPN meeting will be April 11 at 7 p.m. at Harrison High School. The "It Takes A Village" forum will be broadcast on TV-10 at a future date. For more information about the group, visit the Farmington Public Schools Web site or join its Facebook group.


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