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Parents Provide Funding to Promote
Engagement Through WHS Foundation
Each year, the Gallup Student Poll surveys thousands of students across the country. The poll measures engagement, hope and well-being because these constructs are a better predictor of student success than SAT, ACT or GPA. An engaged student is motivated, enjoys and achieves deep learning, is less likely to be chronically stressed, gets better grades and is more likely to be successful beyond high school. With student engagement in school and learning a "gold standard that every parent, teacher and school" should strive to achieve, Walton is continually working with all its stakeholders to actively engage every student in our school.
Research shows there is an inverse relationship between class size and student engagement. As class size drops, student engagement increases. Why? One reason is that in large classrooms, teachers have less opportunity to connect with their students. When a student feels the teacher is concerned about them and their learning on an individual basis, the motivation derived from this relationship overwhelms all other factors. The facilities and resources may be subpar, the student may have problems in their personal lives, the politics of the system may be broken, but if the teacher's relationship with those students is strong, the bond motivates like no other input.
Also, instruction methods change in smaller classrooms where teachers are more likely to involve students in hands-on projects and real-life activities, assign projects that require original or creative thinking, form teams or discussion groups to facilitate learning, and ask students to help each other understand concepts or ideas. These activities make the subject matter more meaningful to the student and their lives, promoting further engagement. Another plus, teachers in smaller classrooms have the time to stress developing communication skills (both oral and written) which are vital skills for success in college and in life.
Since the recession began 8 years ago, WHS has increased our enrollment by 150 students at the same time we have lost funding for 19 classroom teachers. In an effort to minimize the impact these staff reductions have on our student's engagement and education, the Administration has developed a 2-pronged strategy; increasing technology in the classroom and seeking non-traditional funding of supplemental teacher salaries. The WHS Foundation agreed to be a conduit to allow contributions from parents and the WHS community to be funneled directly into Walton classrooms.
Last fall, parents supported the purchase of an iPad for every teacher at WHS through designated donations to the Foundation. Capitalizing on this investment, the Administration volunteered to be a pilot location for the CCSD in the implementation of plan to create infrastructural support for the use of personal devices in our classrooms. Over the winter break, the County installed hotspots in every classroom and committed resources to provide technical support to Walton's personal device integration.
This week, the Foundation sponsored a presentation by teachers from each department, showcasing the apps they were using in their classrooms. (Showcase Apps) WHS teachers are using their iPads to multiply their ability to connect and engage their students! From developing executive function skills to providing daily individual feedback, technology is increasing student/teacher communication and encouraging collaboration and project-based learning in the classroom. The effect spills out into the student's study time where they can annotate class notes or digital textbooks on their personal device, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their study time. They can practice foreign language dialogue, review imbedded videos or post questions/insights they may have for the entire class to consider. The multisensory, differentiated, collaborative nature of this initiative promises huge dividends in motivation and deep learning for our students.
In March, the Foundation kicked off its CLASS SIZE REDUCTION Spring Campaign with a Dinner and Silent Auction to raise funds to hire 5 part-time teachers and reduce class sizes in core curriculum classes for the 2016-2017 school year. Each WHS family was asked to contribute $125 to this campaign. Some of us may consider the payment of teacher's salaries to be the job of the CCSD and the State of Georgia. Absolutely, advocating for adequate funding for quality education is at the top of the PTSA's priorities and we have worked tirelessly toward this goal on the local, state and national level. However, the legislative session is over and Walton's classrooms will be unacceptably crowded next year unless we band together as a community to effect change.
The "ask" per family is very small. $125 will buy 2 hours of private tutoring; a nice dinner out for a family of 5 or popcorn, drink and admission for that same family at the movie theater. Friends with children in comparable private high schools are paying tens of thousands of dollars each year for the same quality of education with one big difference: class sizes are significantly smaller in those institutions. We can duplicate that private school experience for our children for pennies on the dollar if we all choose to take advantage of this opportunity to use the Foundation to funnel contributions directly into our child's classroom.
We don't have to plead with politicians; we don't have to raise taxes, we don't have to pay private tuition. We just have to step up and
agree that this is a problem we can solve together.
Thank you, Walton, for your continued support,
giving your time, talents, energy and resources
to make OUR school the very best it can be for OUR children.
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