I am excited, nervous, happy and scared all at the same time. My MRC(that's mentor resident coach Marni :)) is this amazing woman named Tamiko. She is the real deal. I don't really know any of the other residents at my school site but am getting to know them quickly. They all seem great. I get to meet my mentor teacher on the 19th. Man, talk about pressure for first impressions!
Anyway, a little history about my school and neighborhood since some of you had asked:
Johnson's formal CPS name is James Weldon Johnson Elementary School. The school has approximately 440 students and serves students pre-k through 8th grade. We are a receiving school for Pope Elementary, one of the closed schools. Enrollment has grown since the school was turned around by AUSL in 2009.
In terms of achievement, 65.7% of the students meet or exceeded the state standard (ISAT Composite). 64% meet or exceed state standards in reading. This is up more than 20% in the 3 years since the school was turned around. Per the CPS 2012 School Progress Report, student growth as a whole is above average.
North Lawndale makes up 3.21 square miles on the Westside of Chicago. With population averaging around 35,000 and median income approximately $13,000 it’s no surprise for the next set of facts. North Lawndale has a history of violent, property and quality of life crimes (drugs, prostitution), with crime rates staying consistent over the last 13 years. 38.6% live below the poverty line, and 18.5% are unemployed. That’s over 8% above the national average. Sadly, over 30% have no high school diploma as well.
Once a thriving neighborhood, in the late 1960s and early 1970s a series of economic and social “disasters” decimated the industry and retail along Roosevelt Road. Leading to the demise of the community were the riots that proceeded Martin Luther King’s assassination. This destroyed many of the businesses along Roosevelt road and began the accelerating decline of industry. This led to 75% of the businesses in the community closing or leaving, including International Harvester in 1968, Sears Roebuck & Co. partially in 1974 and then completely in 1987, Zenith and Sunbeam in the 1970s and Western Electric in the 1980s.
North Lawndale was the founding site of the Vice Lords street gang. In the 1960’s they tried to turn themselves into a positive influence on the neighborhood but it was short lived.
An interesting architectural fact is North Lawndale is home to over 2000 historic beautiful grey stone dwellings, the most in the city.
So...in addition to ALL THAT, I have 11 That E-LE-VEN projects/papers/presentations due in the next two weeks. But so does everyone else in my cohort, (43 what's up!) and the camaraderie in the group is fierce. (WWHHHAAAATTTT??) I would take a bullet for these people, they are passionate, getting it done, and LOVE KIDS! Our first true opportunity to commiserate over cocktails will be next Thursday after our last class and one of the presentations. I am sure it will be "colorful".
My Literacy class ended for the semester. Ironically, it turned out to be one of my favs. It really is the basis for everything education when you think about it, I mean if our kids can't read, what the hell else can they do?
Special ed class is killing me....but the two books we had to read were fabulous. My Social Justice professor has officially recommended 1000 books to read, all of which sound amazing and applicable to my future life as a teacher.
Holy crap, I'm a teacher. I literally get teary eyed every time I think or say that. I don't know if it's because I am so excited to be here finally, or scared as hell I am going to screw up a kid's life.....eh, let's go with the first one.
SHOUT OUT to my mentor and friend Femi who's getting married this weekend. Blessed to have such an amazing role model in my life. I hope I can be half the teacher and educational leader she's is!
Last, for all you out there who are still asking, "why the hell did she decide to become a teacher? Watch this.... Boom.
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