Investing in Us: Supporting our Schools
BY OLIVIA ABERNATHY
FEATURED IN VOL 7, ISSUE 1: JACKSON GROWN
We’ve all heard the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” I’m not sure who said it first, but I like her. If you’re a parent you know it’s true, and what a relief that is. You can’t raise a child alone. Ask any teacher or administrator and they will tell you the sentiment is not just for parenting — it also takes a village to educate a child.
But we don’t live in villages anymore, do we? We’ve traded tight-knit communities for a more spread-out city life in which our neighbors can be strangers. Especially this year, technology has replaced human connectedness and our lives are more siloed than ever. Our modern world makes it far too easy to ignore the lives of children who are not ours. We can live in a neighborhood for decades and never step foot in the neighborhood school. We can pass by a school building every day on our way to and fro and never actually meet the kids inside. We can share the same area code, but we can live parallel lives that look drastically different.
Though many in Jackson have no children in the Jackson-Madison County School System, all of our futures are tied to its success. Yes, quality public schools improve the workforce, bring businesses to the area, and improve the economy overall. But far more important than money and business is the reality that the children of JMCSS are our future leaders, helpers, teachers, and neighbors. Our flourishing is inextricably bound to theirs. Whether we live like it or not, we are each other's village.
Our village is at a crossroads. The experts are saying that the pandemic will become the future reference point for the evolution of public schooling in America. The changes resulting from COVID-19 will be far more reaching than any reform efforts in the thirty-seven years since Ronald Reagan’s "A Nation At Risk." There is no going back to a pre-pandemic world for public education, and that can be a good thing. As a nation, we get to re-imagine, redesign, and re-engage.
Perhaps we can start by learning to see JMCSS as our own. Maybe all of us, parents or not, can begin to invest in our city’s children like they’re our village. And we won’t be starting from scratch. There are people and organizations among us who have been investing in public education for years, and after this pandemic year, they continue to lead the way forward.
The expert in neighborly love, Fred Rogers, said: “We live in a world in which we share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
Jackson is full of heroes. So many, in fact, they can’t all fit on this list. These are brief snapshots of a few ways our community is showing up for our village of children. As you read about the different organizations investing in JMCSS, consider how you can join them.
The Read Team, previously named Arise2Read, is undergoing some big changes and exciting new initiatives this year. The organization began by seeing the need for improved literacy and responding with an army of volunteer reading coaches. Coaches tutor second grade students once or twice a week at six local elementary schools on sight words and reading fluency. Directors Kelly and James Christoferson recognize the need for students to read at grade level by the third grade, and they are doing everything they can to support the school system’s efforts.
The READ Team recently announced their new name, new partnership with United Way, and their new Words on Wheels Bus. Christoferson says a major contributor to literacy is access to books. Children who have a broad selection of books in their homes have better reading outcomes, but in low-income neighborhoods, the dismal ratio is 1 book for every 300 children. The Christofersons purchased an 18-ft trailer and gathered donations to take books directly to the kids. The WOW book trailer will begin taking free books to neighborhoods this year.
How you can join
The Read Team needs volunteers to become reading coaches for second grade students. The time commitment includes a training at the beginning of the school year and one hour a week in the school. Gently used and new book donations are also needed for the WOW book trailer.
Imagination Library
Another hero addressing literacy through access to books is the Madison County Imagination Library. Children are mailed high-quality, age-appropriate books every month from birth to age five. People familiar with the program most notably associate it with its founder and owner, Dolly Parton. However, contrary to popular opinion, Dolly does not actually mail the books to the children. A board of local leaders oversees the Madison County operation and the books are purchased through local funding. Since 2005 the organization has provided 587,316 free books to local children, seeing nearly 17,000 children enrolled. That’s 17,000 children who will enter kindergarten with their own collection of books at home.
How you can join
The Imagination Library relies on donations. For $25 you can provide a free book to a child for an entire year. You can sponsor a child (or more!) and help ensure that every child has access to books and a path towards literacy.
Leaders Education Foundation
A recent partner of Imagination Library, the Leaders Education Foundation is a new non-profit formed by Leaders Credit Union in 2019. Leaders Credit Union has a long history with education in Jackson. Created by JMCSS educators in 1957, it was formerly called the Jackson-Madison County Teachers Credit Union.
Education is still in the heartbeat of the institution. They have donated $10,000 to JMCSS annually, provided teacher gifts at annual inservices, and offered financial education courses to JMCSS teachers for free. In 2019 they started the non-profit Leaders Education Foundation to further the impact they could make on education in West Tennessee. The foundation partners with local organizations and members to provide grants, scholarships, and resources to the community to support life-long learning, workforce development, and education. The Foundation gave away ten $1,000 L.E.A.D.S. educator grants to local educators based on votes from people in the community. They hope to double the number of grants available in the fall.
How you can join
For $10 you can become a member of the foundation and support all of the organization’s initiatives. Members are regularly updated with new or ongoing education initiatives.
Church partnerships
This pandemic year saw many trials and challenges for the public school system with closures, virtual learning, and learning loss. Area churches stepped up to partner with JMCSS and helped educate the children in our village. Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, Englewood Baptist Church, and Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church collaborated to create the Learning Huddle Hub, which welcomed and supported virtual learners. West Jackson Baptist Church also created a virtual classroom.
While virtual learning will not likely be a need forever, partnerships with the faith community will always be vital to the success of JMCSS. Many churches act as Partners in Education for neighborhood schools. Englewood has partnered with Andrew Jackson Elementary for years, Calvary Baptist has adopted Arlington Elementary and its teachers, and many other churches find creative ways to invest in local schools.
How you can join
If you attend a church or lead one, find out which school is in your neighborhood. Meet the principal and teachers and ask for the best ways that your congregation can support their work and the students.
tnAchieves
tnAchieves seeks to make college more accessible for Tennessee high school students by awarding last-dollar scholarships and pairing students with mentors. The organization understands that beyond finances, many of the barriers to higher education are intrinsic— lack of knowledge, lack of confidence, or lack of motivation. tnAchieves encourages students to find their own “why” and share it with others through the #FindYourWhyTN campaign. The mentorship program gives them an advocate and cheerleader as they take the hard steps of meeting their post-secondary education goals.
How you can join
Volunteer as a mentor! Volunteers serve as a trusted mentor and source of encouragement for a group of 5-10 high school seniors as they transition into college. Mentors assist students and families with the college enrollment process, remind the student of deadlines, check in on the student as they transition, and encourage them as they reach their full potential. After a one hour training, the time commitment is only 10-15 hours annually. This is a perfect opportunity for even the busiest individuals to make a meaningful impact.
Boys & Girls Club
The Boys and Girls Club has been a staple of our community for over fifty years. The organization supports JMCSS by extending education into after school hours and summer months for children ages 5-18. The club utilizes an extensive array of tutoring, education enrichment, sports, arts, character development, and money management programs. The club utilizes volunteers to serve as role models and mentors to students, and volunteer opportunities are plentiful. Check out the Our Jackson Home podcast to hear from director Sabrina Anderson about the world of the Boys and Girls Club!
How you can join
There are many ways you can be involved in the work of the Boys and Girls Club including volunteering weekly, donating, supporting fundraisers, and purchasing items on their Wish List.
100 Black Men
Since 1992, 100 Black Men of West TN, Inc. has been a beacon of leadership, investing in educational and economic opportunities for the African American community. The group is an affiliate chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. The mission is to nurture and enhance growth, development, and opportunities for young African American males throughout West Tennessee. 100 Black Men of West TN has a mentoring initiative called the F.A.M.I.L.Y. Program, which provides one-on-one and group mentorship for middle school boys. The mentees participate through high school and if they complete the program, graduate from high school, and are accepted to post-secondary education, they are provided scholarship assistance for college. The organization also has a literacy initiative called Book Buddies for elementary students. Members of 100 Black Men of West TN read and discuss books with Elementary students at Denmark and Lincoln Elementary schools. The books are then donated to the classroom library.
HOW YOU CAN JOIN
The organization utilizes volunteers, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations to provide their services. Community members can sponsor their programs monetarily or inquire about specific volunteer opportunities.
Keep My Hood Good was founded by Juanita Jones in 2009 with the primary goal of serving children in Jackson who are trapped in generational poverty. What began with a van, a basketball, and a heart for ministry has now grown to a robust after school and summer program, offering mentorship, tutoring, and other experiential learning activities for youth, including a community garden program. Keep My Hood Good currently serves approximately 26 middle and high school students from the East Jackson area, with plans to continue growing their program offerings and participants.
The mission of Keep My Hood Good is to promote personal, civic, and community responsibility for underserved, underprivileged youth through structured activities that encourage breaking generational poverty. Their platform is centered on four pillars: Accountability, Excellence, Integrity, and Respect.
How you can join
Volunteer to be a mentor, a tutor, or a workshop teacher! You could also offer to host students on a learning field trip to your business. KMHG runs on volunteers and donations, so contact the organization to learn how you can support monetarily or through service.
RIFA, Blessing Boxes, Dignity Closet
There are many community partners and organizations working to alleviate the effects of poverty on local students. It’s much harder for a child to concentrate on reading, writing, or math when their most basic needs aren’t met. RIFA’s snack backpack program provides food for over 1,000 children at 14 of our elementary schools. RIFA has also placed food pantries at local middle schools.
Give Back Jack Blessing Boxes recently placed a box outside of Andrew Jackson Elementary for families to take non-perishable and essential items as needed.
A Leadership Jackson class partnered with JMCSS in 2018 to begin placing Dignity Closets at public schools. Through donations, Dignity Closets provide washers and dryers and hygiene items for students who need them.
How you can join:
All of these organizations rely on donations, both monetary and of non-perishable items.
OLIVIA ABERNATHY is a mom, wife, social worker and seminary student. In her free time she loves to daydream and read about public education reform. She lives in midtown and loves the big magnolia tree in her front yard.
