The Conveyor Belt

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit EL Haynes Public Charter School. In the last twelve months, I have spent time in many urban and suburban schools. I can say, without reservation, that I have not been more impressed than I was yesterday. EL Haynes is astounding in almost every imaginable way: diversity, achievement, sense of community, and response to negative student behavior. I came away very excited about the good work being done in this city, yet more sure than ever that Reach, Inc. needs to exist.

Like many successful models in urban centers, EL Haynes has grown their own student population. This means that they started with a small school of young students, and they've grown a grade each year as their students progress. It was Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone that popularized the term "conveyor belt," and it is this mentality that promotes getting children early and supporting them from "cradle to college." It's an effective model for those students that make it on to the conveyor belt early, but what about others?

In reality, the conveyor belt is not the right visual. Perhaps, the conveyor belt works if we imagine it on an incline. Those of us that were born into privilege start on the belt before birth. As the incline carries the conveyor belt skyward, we've figured out how to facilitate the placement of children onto the belt early in life. With additional supports, we can even provide the necessary boost for many of our elementary school students. However, the outcomes grow dim at this point. For those middle school students that did not have a good elementary school experience, we provide a rope hanging down. Sure, it's a path to the conveyor belt, but only strongest kids can make their way up. This is why so many of our most effective programs for middle schoolers - for example, DC's highly successful Higher Achievement Program - work with "promising" or "highly motivated" students. 

Sadly, the conveyor belt continues to climb and it seems farther and farther from the grasp of our most underserved. At the beginning of 9th grade, our students look up and see this belt so far away. It seems distant and inaccessible. I refuse to accept that reality. I see Reach, Inc.'s role as the builder of a staircase to the conveyor belt. We can not begin writing off our students as early as middle school. We must - MUST - provide entry points along the way. The stairs will be steep, and climbing them will most certainly be difficult, but we must build them.

The solutions must be multi-faceted. We need great schools, funders of innovation, and supportive policies. (For example, EL Haynes' Head of School, Jennie Niles, mentioned an idea in which high performing charter schools could be paid a weighted per pupil allotment for accepting middle and high school students more than two years below grade level in reading - an allotment similar to those received for special education or ELL students - since additional resources are needed to achieve success. Brilliant!) Our society has many social problems that prevent kids from getting on that conveyor belt or cause them to fall during the ride; therefore, we must create the supports necessary to provide new entry points along the way. I'm excited to live in a city where programs like EL Haynes and Higher Achievement exist, and I will continue to praise their work at any opportunity, but adding Reach, Inc. to our portfolio of solutions will only make our city stronger.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.