&KHFNLQVLGHIRU2XWVWDQGLQJ*UDGXDWHV $OOFRXQW\VFKRROVZLOOVWDUWLQ$XJXVW See page 4. parentA newsletter for parents published by the Voluntary Interdistrict Choicelink CorporationsVolume 24, Number 3, July 2009 Former Transfer Students Use School Experiences As a Model in Their Careers by Peggy Magee Attendance Specialist Pushes Students Similar Urban Reformer Works to Bring to the City What to Way He was Pulled She Had in the County Years ago, Charlie Bean, now 40, floats in and out of classrooms. Through Trina Clark James’ education in historically significant African-American referred to a tug of war when these day-in, day-out interactions, neighborhood, she resented the fact the Clayton district dates back that she had to travel outside her home describing the relationship he had Charlie is building relationships and working to be that adult who students 25 years and yet it continues community for school. “Why can’t I get with his teachers at Lindbergh look forward to seeing each and every to be the driving force behind what I need here?” she wondered, trying High. “They were on one end day. “I want the kids to feel comfortable her professional goals. “The hard to stifle her irritation. pulling and pulling for me,” noted talking to me,” he explains. “I want to education I received in Clayton But her drive to succeed was stronger the former VICC student, who be a person they will listen to and look than her bitterness and so she put forth set the standard for what I her best effort at Clayton, taking full coined himself the “class clown” up to.” He recalls that at Lindbergh, Dr. would like to see available in advantage of its opportunities. And now because of his antics of not taking Don Jones, his 12th grade principal, all communities,” notes the her desire is that the major components school seriously. “monitored my whereabouts,” making former VICC student, 37, whose of her Clayton education exist in all St. And now, some 20 years after high sure he steered clear of mischief. And unwavering commitment to Louis schools, specifically academic rigor, school and his subsequent graduation teacher Debra Peppers, a friend and resources and a college-focused culture. from Central Missouri State University, he mentor to him, had one of those faces urban education helped bring a At Clayton, she says, “Both the variety of uses a step ladder to explain his role as that students “always enjoyed seeing.” highly-regarded charter public courses available as well as the content administrator at Carnahan School of the At Carnahan, Charlie also serves as school model to St. Louis. and instruction provided within the Future in the St. Louis district. “The rungs athletic director and recruiting specialist, Trina’s endeavor to open KIPP St. courses were intellectually stimulating of the ladder are levels of achievement a job that involves handling admission Louis (Knowledge Is Power Program) and challenging.” As for resources, “Every for students to climb. I am at the bottom applications and enrollment. He is often has spanned several years and required school should have access to information hoisting all the Charlie Bean types up.” If the first person with whom families make her to mobilize her home community, about college, programs that would they slip down a rung, he’s there to catch contact. “He is cultivating relationships garnering support from civic, corporate accelerate and/or enhance learning them and push them back up. with students before they ever arrive and educational leaders alike. In experiences, as well as basic tangible What Charlie does now for St. Louis here,” notes Principal Alice Roach. “The heading up the effort to put together items such as textbooks for everyone in students is fashioned after what was students are prepared from day one and a winning application, she applied the good condition, equipment for gym, art, done for him at Lindbergh, he says. As then the follow-up begins. People know organizational, managerial and analytical Carnahan’s attendance specialist, he walks he cares.” skills she has culled over the last 20 years. the hallways chatting with students and The school’s tremendous rise in Her arsenal of tools includes two degrees attendance rates over the last few years in engineering (one from Georgia is testament to Charlie’s caring ways. Institute of Technology; the other He reaches out to not only chronically from Stanford University), successful absent students but to those who have employment in the software engineering a mostly good track record of getting to field, as well as an MBA with a school and arriving on time. His guiding concentration in nonprofit management principle, passed down from Dr. Roach (from University of California at Davis). is “what gets monitored, gets done,” Armed with that MBA, she was meaning that students will generally accepted in the Broad Foundation meet expectations if there is someone in residency program in urban education their court keeping a close eye on them. and assigned to the St. Louis school Charlie’s proactive approach, the district. The program seeks to improve extensive data base he relies on and urban public and charter school systems support from social workers, counselors by using best business practices. She and other administrators have resulted requested serving in St. Louis because in a significant boost in attendance. “I wanted to come back and be part of So much so that the district’s Special what I saw were real reform efforts.” Despite initially showing resistance to attending Clayton schools, for- Administrative Board allocated monies She worked on many different mer VICC student Trina Clark James says she greatly benefited from it projects for the St. Louis school district and now works to bring that calibre of education to the city. to adopt the Carnahan prototype by “I wouldn’t even know to strive for that had I not experienced a placing attendance officers in 10 other before changing gears and heading Clayton education,” she notes. As attendance specialist at Carnahan School of the Future, up SUTAK (St. Louisans United To Photo by Marilyn Zimmerman Charlie Bean greets students each morning and continues to city high schools. keep an eye on them throughout the day. The former volun- Charlie entered the Lindbergh district Attract KIPP). Through her visits to tary transfer student says he is building relationships with the in the eighth grade but he wishes KIPP academies in other cities, she was shop and other non-core classes.” Finally, she teenagers just as his own principal and teachers did with him he could have been there his whole impressed with KIPP’s “no shortcuts” believes all schools should possess a culture Photo by Marilyn Zimmerman at Lindbergh High. education. “I loved all the students philosophy of educating children. As “in which the expectation to attend college is and developed great relationships a result of her strong leadership, KIPP the norm.” with them, adding that he still keeps in St. Louis opened July 13 with 95 fifth While Trina presently serves as acting St. Louis, MO 63105 7425 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 110 Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation touch with some of them via Facebook. graders in the former St. Francis de Sales executive director of KIPP St. Louis, once a He remembers vividly that on his school building at Ohio and Gravois permanent director is hired, her work for KIPP graduation day he had a hard time in south St. Louis. The plan is for it to will be completed. But her work for St. Louis holding back tears “because I didn’t want become a grade 5-8 school by adding school children will not be. She intends to to leave that school.” a new fifth grade class each year. It is start her own K-8 charter public school that will Despite Charlie’s high praise for his the seed school for a network of KIPP incorporate “the best practices of everything alma mater, he believes students can get elementary, middle and high schools I’ve seen.” She recently received a $10,000 what they need from whatever school being planned, eventually serving grant from the Walton Family Foundation they attend. “No matter where you go, upwards of 1500 St. Louis students. toward the planning of the school, to be there are opportunities if you opt to take Fueling Trina is her strong belief located in her old neighborhood, the Ville. advantage of them.” that the quality of education in urban About her contributions to urban education areas should not be compromised. in St. Louis, Trina reveals, “What has driven me Growing up in the Ville, St. Louis’ most from day one is my interest in making sure there is quality education in the Ville.” Advice for Voluntary Transfer Families fromTrina s7HETHERYOUAREHAPPYORNOTABOUTATTENDINGYOURSCHOOL FOCUSYOURATTENTIONANDENERGYONMAKINGTHEMOSTOFTHESITUATION,ATER INLIFE YOULLSEETHEBENElTSESPECIALLYIFYOUCHECKYOURATTITUDEATTHEDOORANDVIEWTHEEXPERIENCEASTHEOPPORTUNITYTHATITIS s%NROLLINADVANCEDPLACEMENTCOURSESIFYOUQUALIFY9OUMIGHTPLACEOUTOFSOMECOLLEGECOURSESORHAVEANEDGEINOTHERSh)TESTED OUTOF(ISTORYAND%NGLISHWHICHSAVEDMETIMEANDMONEYv s4HEINTERACTIONSYOUHAVEWITHPEOPLEOFOTHERCULTURESANDBACKGROUNDSWILLSERVEYOUWELLINLIFESOBEOPENTOTHOSERELATIONSHIPS fromCharlie PERMIT NO. 5737 PERMIT LOUIS, MO ST. PAID U.S. POSTAGE ORG. NON-PROFIT s3CHOOLATTENDANCEANDPUNCTUALITYAREIMPERATIVEh)TSTHATSIMPLE IFKIDSARENTTHERE THEYCANTBENElTv s3TUDENTSAREBESTSERVEDIFTHEYGETINVOLVEDINAFTERSCHOOLACTIVITIES)TSACHANCETOGETTOKNOWOTHERSTUDENTSBETTERANDTODISCOVER WHATINTERESTSTHEM!LSO THEYMUSTBEOPENTOOTHERPEOPLE)TMAYBEHARDATlRSTFORTHEMTOSTEPOUTSIDETHEIRCOMFORTZONE