27 African American State Government Managers Volunteer as Tutors at Conn Elementary
March 30, 2001 - Conn Elementary educators and volunteers
have recruited more than two dozen African-American state
government managers who visit the school weekly to tutor at-risk
students.
Assistant Principal Valgean Mitchell works with volunteering
parents and tutors at Conn Elementary and coordinates the
27 African-American managers who tutor.
 Valgean Mitchell, Assistant Principal at Conn Elementary |
"You have to want what is best for children and whatever
it takes, that's what we do," said Mitchell. "We
work very hard to pull in all kinds of resources for the children
to help them be successful."
In selecting students to be tutored, Mitchell sought boys who were below grade level in math, reading, and writing and in danger of retention. The majority of the students attend the school's Accelerated Learning Program, an additional 22 days of instruction where teachers provide more one-on-one assistance.
"I asked the teachers to identify students who they felt were below grade in reading, math and writing," said Mitchell. "Some of those students have been through the Student Support Team and considered for retention. I looked at that list and asked the parents and teachers, 'Do you think this child would benefit from having a tutor?' That's basically the way we do it."
Mitchell notifies parents that their child has the opportunity
to be tutored and once parents give their approval, Mitchell
pairs the tutor with a child. Each tutor works one-on-one
with a child. The tutor checks by the classroom and receives
assignments from the classroom teacher targeted to the child's
needs.
"We know individualizing instruction is important for
some children to make progress," said Mitchell. "Many
children want and need that one-on-one attention. You hear
the teachers say, 'When I sit there with them, they will do
well, but once I move away they stop or slow down.' The tutors
are providing the one-on-one time that these students need
to make progress.'"
While Mitchell has coordinated the tutoring effort, community
leader Kenneth Johnson recruited the 27 managers to tutor
at the school.
"Kenneth Johnson called me and asked if we had a need for tutors," said Mitchell. "Johnson went on to tell me about her passion to help African-American students because she had been reading in the media about this huge gap and she asked if I could use some tutors at my school. I said, 'Yes. Please. Bring them on.'"
One of Johnson's recruits is Dr. Henry Johnson, Associate
State Superintendent at the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, Office of Instructional and Accountability Services.
 Dr. Henry Johnson, Conn Elementary tutor |
"I have a friend who is sort of a community activist,"
said Dr. Johnson. "She and I had been in conversation
several times. After seeing me make a presentation at a meeting,
she came up to me and said, 'How much of that stuff you just
said do you really believe.' I said, 'All of it.'"
Several weeks later Dr. Johnson was tutoring at Conn Elementary. He worked with three students last year and this year is working with a fifth grader.
"Some kids need tutors and mentors because of various reasons. Academic performance is not what it ought to be and could be, and often there are other issues besides the academic area," said Johnson. "Sometimes the student just needs another adult to relate to, to converse with. I serve those roles."
Once a week before school starts, Johnson meets the fifth-grader
at school. They work on math problems. For Johnson, it is
a chance to help a child, have a connection to the classroom,
give something back to the community, and have fun.
"All of these tutors are college graduates," said
Mitchell. "Many have children themselves and have helped
them with homework. As tutors, they need to have the patience
to work with children. And I would hope they would love children."
Some of the tutors have received the parents' permission
to work with the children outside of school. Sometimes they
play basketball. Some have gone to college basketball games.
One took a student to the swearing-in ceremony for a new judge.
"Many of our children have low self-esteem. This is an esteem builder," said Mitchell. "The one tutor who took the child down to see the judge being sworn in asked me, 'Do you think he'll remember this?' 'I don't know if he enjoyed it,' I said. 'He's young now, but he will remember this. He will tell his high school, college friends or someday his own children about the fact that he saw this judge being sworn in.' It may even impact him so that that he wants to become an attorney or a judge some day. I am very pleased with this program. The tutors, I can't thank them enough. Their commitment is wonderful. Our children are fortunate."