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Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It’s The Community, Stupid
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week, Jamie Vollmer — a former Iowa businessman who says he once sold the “Best Ice Cream in America” — spoke to Georgia school board members and superintendents about how to fix their public schools.
Vollmer, who gave up the ice cream scoops and now makes a living as a professional speaker, admits he used to be a harsh critic of the nation’s school systems. But, after working with the Iowa Business and Education Roundtable in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he became one of their biggest allies.
His bottom line: That the main problem with America’s public schools is not teachers or administrators, but rather the lack of community trust and support.
His solution: Build a better relationship with the community — not just parents, but all neighbors — so that reforms can happen and schools can improve.
“After doing this for 18 years … I’ve learned one thing for sure: You cannot do this by yourself,” he said. “The folks in Georgia have no idea how hard this job is. This is the most challenging group of students ever to walk through those classroom doors. …
“So you need community understanding. You need community trust. … You need community commitment … [And] you need community permission to do things differently.”
Honestly, I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone blame the public as a whole for the failings of public schools. But Vollmer — who has the delivery of a well-honed stand-up comic — presented a persuasive argument.
Most educators are trying to do what’s best for the kids, he said, but parents, politicians and others keep getting in the way. If those naysayers only got closer to the schools and better understood the challenges public campuses face, they’d be more willing to give their support to make necessary changes — including possibly implementing year-round school (oh my!).
The question: How do you engage the larger community in a conversation about improving public schools, when that community doesn’t want to be involved?
