The school
We are supported by our local district as well as the county juvenile justice department. This is the last stop for most of them academically. It is a therapeutic, not punitive, program with some emphasis on social justice. Instruction is personalized as much as possible, both in delivery and content. We are responsible for meeting state and federal mandates, but often our first objectives for our students are to teach them how to "do school" again and to reintroduce them to society as productive, engaged citizens who are on the other side of the justice system. Interventions for behavioral problems or social service and legal appointments will interrupt the unit flow for some students, but our flexible schedule allows for accommodations. This year I will have a social worker partner who will absorb some of these interruptions so that I can focus more with students, as they are ready, on the academic objectives at hand.
We face challenges that go along with the restrictions of being a small school (sixty students) with only four teachers. Because of budget cuts, we cannot offer fine arts ourselves. Classes necessarily tend to be multi-age and multi-grade and attempt to address experiences in the arts and the community. However, our small size also gives us flexibility, and we are able to leave the building in vans with little advance notice. The intimate nature of the school also allows for the cultivation of rewarding relationships among staff and students. This is essential; my students will need to be able to trust me, a white teacher from midtown Tulsa, to lead them through this investigation of their own territory.
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