Partners in Education
 

Connecting the Community

McKinney ISD’s Partners in Education program helps the community of McKinney become an integral part of the education process.

By Larry Coker
 

Sitting at his desk and quietly listening to the instructions of his third grade teacher, Timmy glances around the room at his classmates. He’s looking for a sign, a clue or a hint that someone else in the room is also having difficulty understanding the subject at hand. He wants to understand, he wants to learn and he wants to grasp the concept, but it just doesn’t make any sense to him at all.

Timmy isn’t alone. Throughout his classroom, down school hallways, across towns and in any school district across the country, several children in America are struggling in school. Today’s educational system is more demanding, more complicated and more difficult than ever before. Children are being asked to grasp subjects and educational concepts at a younger age, and then held accountable through testing programs to prove they have succeeded in their quest to learn.

But students are just one element of the equation. Today’s teachers are tasked with educating children at a faster pace, with more information and with more intensity than years gone by. In the end, they too are held accountable. Their success as an educator is often determined by how well the students perform on standardized tests.

On the outside looking in is the community. Politicians, community leaders, business people and parents continually scrutinize the system; judge the process and demand perfection for, and by, Timmy, his schoolmates, his teachers and district personnel.

The administration and teaching staff at McKinney ISD understands the demands of society in regards to education, and as a result, have dedicated themselves to providing the highest level of education possible for every child in the district.

Part of that commitment is a concerted effort to diminish the space that often separates the community from the public education process. In an effort to bridge that gap, McKinney ISD formed the Partners in Education program in January of 2006.

“I firmly believe that every child can and will learn and succeed --- maybe not on the same day and perhaps not in the same way,” said Tom Crowe, superintendent of schools for McKinney ISD. “If we can partner with the community to help the students make a connection to an adult, other than their teacher, who shows an interest in the students’ education, we have a much greater chance of helping those students be successful.”

The program was developed under the umbrella of the National Partners in Education program, an organization that has developed programs involving volunteering, community services and business partnership programs for more than 30 years throughout the United States.

The National Partners in Education program works to increase the number, quality and scope of effective partnerships in communities. The organization has direct links to local school districts and community leaders throughout the country and strives to connect children and classroom teachers with corporate, education, volunteer, government and civic leaders.

In McKinney ISD, the organization is under the direction of Nancy Cowlishaw, coordinator of the Partners in Education program. Cowlishaw, a ten-year employee of the district, believes that the program can make a significant difference in the lives of many students.

“I believe that education is a community project,” said Cowlishaw. “Young people need to see our community taking time out of their busy schedules to give back to our children. It is a powerful way to connect children and youth with caring adults.”

The McKinney ISD Partners in Education program consists of three divisions: mentoring, volunteering and a business-partnership program. Currently, the organization has developed the mentoring program known as REACH in an effort to REACH one child at a time.

The program is designed to foster a basic sense of self-esteem, self-confidence and a motivation to learn and improve personal and social skills that will reinforce the importance of an education.

Studies across the country illustrate that students with mentors show an improvement in grades, have fewer discipline problems, better social skills and a greater appreciation for education.

In a study conducted by Big Brothers and Big Sisters, sixty-nine percent of students involved in a mentoring program improved their relationship with authority, seventy-five percent improved their peer relationships, sixty-nine percent improved their school attendance and ninety-five percent were promoted to the next grade level.

“Mentoring can transform relations across generations,” said Cowlishaw. “A mentor can inspire, influence and motivate a child to excel.”

The REACH mentoring program is structured to benefit both the student and the mentor. Each campus in the district utilizes a referral form as a guide in selecting students that may benefit from having a mentor. Once the student is identified, the parent is notified and informed that their child has been referred to the program. The parent or guardian must provide permission to the district to allow their child to participate in the REACH program and the student is also provided the opportunity to choose whether or not they would like to be a part of the program. Students are not required to participate in the REACH mentoring program.

Mentors are asked to volunteer a minimum of one hour per week. All of the mentoring takes place at the school, during school hours, at a set time and place by a Partner in Education campus liaison. Each mentor is required to complete an on-line volunteer application form, accessible from the McKinney ISD web site, which includes a criminal background check. Once the mentor is cleared through the background check, the district provides one-hour mentoring orientation training and then the campus liaison contacts the mentor for a face-to-face meeting. The campus liaison then matches a student to a mentor and then sets up a schedule, which will be beneficial to both the student and the mentor.

In addition to the support the program provides to students, the Partners in Education also benefits the mentors as well. Volunteers with the program will have the opportunity to help a student succeed, see personal growth and awareness through insights gained by the child, help a child gain a sense of accomplishment and help shape future leaders.

“It’s amazing to see the kids’ eyes light up and the grins on their faces when you just walk into the room,” said Pam Walker, Human Resource Manager with the Kone Corporation and a mentor with the Partners in Education program. “You get to see them learn and grow and see just how special it makes them feel. I gain as much from the time we spend together as the kids do. It’s a chance to feel that you’re really helping somebody.”

Since its inception, the McKinney ISD Partner’s in Education program has received a positive response from the community. Several large businesses and corporations such as the Medical Center of McKinney, Raytheon, El Dorado Chevrolet, Capital One, Washington Mutual, Market Street, Kone, Chick-Fil-A, Best Buy and Brookshire’s have signed on with the program. Other local businesses, organizations and independently owned companies such as Jeff Schroeder Farmers Insurance, Wade Johnson Allstate Insurance, Dr. Cynthia Medina-McMann, D.D.S., Dr. Michael Bolten, D.D.S. and the McKinney Police Department have also joined the program.

“We are very excited about the enthusiasm of the community and their commitment to the program,” said Cowlishaw. “The Partners in Education program is a tremendous opportunity for our community to partner with McKinney ISD to make a significant impact in the lives of our students.”

McKinney ISD is continuously searching for individuals, organizations and businesses to join the Partners in Education organization and for mentors and volunteers to join the district in helping students achieve the highest level of success possible. To find out more about the McKinney ISD Partners in Education program, call Nancy Cowlishaw at 469-742-4043 or contact her by e-mail at ncowlishaw@mckinneyisd.net. 

More information about the McKinney ISD Partners in Education program is also available on the McKinney ISD website at www.mckinneyisd.net/pie/index.htm.