However, my experience with work-study meant neither work nor studying. Instead, it was a course given to seniors who had completed all required courses and available electives. Without adequate staffing/resources to offer advanced coursework, these students were given multiple sections of work-study (many had expressed no interest in the program and were not currently employed). However, the schedule was made during the first week of school, so there was little time to find meaningful work for them.
Rather than engaging in true work-study, many of our brightest seniors began either leaving school early or resigned to mundane tasks around the building.
This is not a condemnation of work-study altogether; instead it is an urgent call for administrators to find programs that actually work to support learning. Perhaps most impressive has been the model used by the Cristo Rey Network, which operates more than a dozen Jesuit high schools across the country--one of which just opened in Fells Point. It is called the Corporate Internship Program (CIP) and was first created to make private, college-preparatory schools affordable for students in a low-income area of Chicago.
Cristo Rey soon discovered, however, that their program brought with it many other advantages. The CIP depends on more than 90 partnerships with reputable companies in downtown Chicago--including banks, law firms, and hospitals. Students work five days a month in entry-level positions and earn roughly 65% of their tuition, literally investing students in their own education. At the same time, they develop strong work ethic, network with business leaders, and gain valuable real world experience.
This is what schools should bring to the students of Baltimore City. Cristo Rey provides a strong example of how/why work-study can be a viable option that is integrated into high school curriculum. However, if students are going to compete in a global economy, their work experience must extend beyond making copies or washing boards. And that means schools must begin the search for positive community partners, all of whom share a stake in our children's future. The search must begin now.
My view is that our work-study program should either be eliminated or transformed into something like CIP at Cristo Rey. Only then will it live up to its name.
For More Information: http://www.cristorey.net/cwsp/overview.html
2 comments:
I see that you have mentioned Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in your post. There are actually 22 schools in the Cristo Rey Network, with more schools slated to open this fall. Many of the schools are sponsored by the Jesuits; others are sponsored by other congregations of men and women religious, such as the Sisters of Providence, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and the Passionist Fathers.
As you noted, the work component is key to our program. In adttion ot the real world experience they gain, our students find their work colleagues and supervisors to be important mentors and role models. If you are interested in visiting our school and learning how it works, please contact me at mlennon@cristoreybalt.org. Our website is www.cristoreybalt.org.
I think the Cristo Rey work study program is a great way to invest students in their education. I understand that a small team of students share the responsibilities of a full-time entry level position job. The students take a day off of school to fulfill satisfied their weekly hours on the job. Students' guardians also contribute to their tuition costs as well as other supporters of the program.
I am frustrated with Cristo Rey's "100%" graduation policy though. The school claims that they will graduate all of its' students, but in the process of making it to graduation, any students who may not make it are asked to leave. This is an advantage that non-public schools have in producing graduation rates. I think that the Cristo Rey program is doing many positive things for the community, but it is frustrating that public schools are compared to programs that can pick and choose their students.
I think developing work study programs that are similar to Cristo Rey's program would be advantageous to BCPSS students. I also believe that when comparing data, people must acknowledge the liberties that Cristo Rey and other similar schools have in adjusting their student populations.
Post a Comment