RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

It is heartbreaking to see such vital roles and positions being cut in our schools just as we need them most. It frustrates me to think about how funding changes can drastically take such a toll on our children, families, and schools. The school I currently teach in does not have a home-school coordinator but for my first three years of teaching (at another school) we did and she was phenomenal. As teachers we strive to learn as much as we can about our students but sometimes time does not allow us to make home visit like we would like. Having a position that makes it possible for our parents to see we care, by someone coming out not only to learn about their child but also to help them if they need resources truly helps bridge the gap between home and school. Unfortunately, with the funding cuts we are taking ten steps backwards in education again.

Home-school coordinator...sounds like a job I would love. We don't have those here in Davie. I, too, have made home visits. I, too, have trouble with a new SUV or huge TV when there doesn't seem to be enough food around. I overheard a comment from a white woman referring to black people having nice cars and ramshackle houses; "that is how black people live." I was at the salon under the dryer with color dripping down my head so I did not get up to tell her what I wanted to. My first suggestion to her would have been to not say everything that enters into your head! I was thinking that it is not a situation of black and white and brown. It is a class difference. Middle class people tend to live in different houses with different priorities. Do you agree or am I off?

When I began teaching fifteen years ago, the first school I was in was a rural, low income country school. There was a large migrant population and the emphasis was on home visits. Simply, teacher conferences never happened at school because most of the families did not have the means to get to the school. Busing and walking were the two forms of getting to school everyday. I learned so much from these home visits. As a new teacher I focused on the inconvenience of this, but then I marveled at the connection I made with the family by coming to their home and the pride they felt in showing me around, even the most humblest of dwellings. I wish this was the normal conference routine instead of having a parent enter a building and classroom that may make them uncomfortable. Sarah, I encourage you to continue your home visits and build the connection between your students' homes and your class. I realize time is a huge constraint, yet the payoff is worth it.

I have never been in a school with a home school cordinator. I have have only made home visits twice in the four years I have been teaching. I think it is time to change that! I have been inspired by your words and those that have made comments to your blog. I believe as our school goes through redistricting this summer will be a perfect oportunity to start.

I agree Sarah - having someone provide that home-school connection is vital. I hate that your school has chosen to cut this position but maybe in time, this position will come back. Hicks does have the luxury (this isn't the right word but all I could think of at the moment) of being able to work back and forth between home and school with enough experience and education in the literacy field to develop hypotheses about Jake and Laurie that are built on actual observations. We don't always have that ability. We can observe in the classroom but many times we have to rely on parent or child interviews to find out what happens at home - and usually we can only rely a little bit on those. A home visit allows us to match our classroom observations with those in the home, to see or at least look for issues at hoome that would impact reading development directly. It also allows us to maintain our compassion and patience for our students so that we will continue to work when it seems no improvements will be made, so we will keep pushing our students when no one else believes they can do it.

It is amazing what positions are considered non-essential. Before I read your post, I suggested home visits in my comments to Heather. After being involved in this class, I am more committed than ever to the value of meeting the students and the caregivers in THEIR homes. I cannot help but think this would demonstrate a true concern for the student and all that is important to both the student and the caregiver. While it appears that your "higher ups" don't think they can afford a home school coordinator, I am not sure they can afford NOT to have one.

I admire you for making the time to visit the homes of your students. Your choice shows your commitment to your students and their success.

You make an excellent point about being able to see the home AND school life. We've made this point before, but I'll reiterate: we cannot even start to imagine why a child acts the way he or she does unless we get a glimpse into their home life. I would say 99% of the time a child is acting out, he or she is acting out for some other reason other than what we think. They are frustrated at not understanding something or they are acting out because of something going on at home. I really do think schools should think more about the home life with their students, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

Sarah, You are so right. As teachers, we can make the attempt to understand their background, but we never fully comprehend unless we've spent time in their home. It would be wonderful if we could do this with all of our students. I remember reading Ron Clark's book (Disney Teacher of the Year a while back)and he did home visits for all of his students before school started! It really helped him get to know his students and build a rapport based on mutual respect and understanding. So kudos to you for trying to do the same. I'm glad you are having such a good year with your students. It's clear that you really care. They are lucky to have you!

Sarah, first, I would love to have a home coordinator. In my school, they would be a very busy person. Unfortunately, we have no vice principal and our counselor is more of a testing coordinator so we don't have much support. This is frustrating. Everyday, I see parents who have 3 or 4 kids now deciding that they want a better life and, well, that doesn't leave much time for their children. Many parents do drive nice cars and can't put food on the table. We actually had one parent ask for help from the school to pay her power bill, but showed up the next day with new tires on her suv. Makes a lot of sense right? The thing is, how do we get these little minds focused on school? Last year in kindergarten, I was talking about the possibilities of college and opportunity and I had a little girl rationalize the idea that she didn't need to go to school. She was going to sit at home and have fun all day like mommy and daddy. The sad thing is that this is becoming the reality many poor children are seeing. It is hard to keep the faith when we hear comments like this, but we have to keep believing that what we are doing will make a difference. Learning about these students' home lives can help better prepare us for the approach we should take.

Sarah I understand your frustration about losing your home-school coordinator. My aunt was the home-school coordinator at my school before she died. When she had the job it was a full-time position. You could always count on her to make a home visit with you. Since her death last summer they hired a new lady, but they made her position part time. She only works from 8-12, meaning all home visits have been cut out. We do have a social worker that will visit homes, but she only works with certain families, and even at that we are not "allowed" to accompany her on those visits. It has certainly been a different year without our traditional home-school coordinator.

Sarah I understand your frustration about losing your home-school coordinator. My aunt was the home-school coordinator at my school before she died. When she had the job it was a full-time position. You could always count on her to make a home visit with you. Since her death last summer they hired a new lady, but they made her position part time. She only works from 8-12, meaning all home visits have been cut out. We do have a social worker that will visit homes, but she only works with certain families, and even at that we are not "allowed" to accompany her on those visits. It has certainly been a different year without our traditional home-school coordinator.

Thank you so much for your critique because I did not think about the reality of teachers not having an "in" to what the lives of the students are like outside of the school. It helps to hear from the teachers in class because I am not aware of the ins and outs of the school system because I haven't been a classroom teacher yet. Have you seen the implications of the man who was fired who made the home visits, and if so how does that affect the students?

I'm wondering if there are other ways you can tap into what children might be experiencing at home -- through writing, storytelling, art, etc. It is important to have a window into the home life, and while children have their own perspective about what happens at home, it may still be worth exploring their biographies/stories from their points of view. Just an idea!

Give please. How are you feeling. Help me! Need information about: Florida renters insurance. I found only this - seattle. Insurance home cuts, an bias settled by over 100,000 buildings, renters insurance. There are breakdowns, services, goods, items and an rent company, renters insurance. Thank :rolleyes: Clark from Peru.