Educational Research Service Making a Difference in Our Children’s Future 
|
|
Educational Research Service Making a Difference in Our Children’s Future
|
ERS Successful School Practices
A selection of successful practices, programs, and ideas contributed by school districts to the ERS Successful School Practices Collection and announced in the ERS periodical, Successful School Practices, mailed to ERS Comprehensive subscribers three times a year.
Spring 2000
School Involvement Program Enlists Senior Citizen Support
S
enior citizens, who often no longer have any direct involvement with public education, may be uneasy about paying taxes to support public schools. Leaders of the Riverview Gardens School District were especially mindful of this situation after the district passed two major bond issues in three years. One caused a property tax hike, and the district was anxious to lighten any additional tax burden on retirees.The district came up with a program that district staff describe as “a simple, cost-effective, ‘win-win’ initiative that helps kids learn, gives teachers a hand, involves citizens, neutralizes potential critics, and attracts good PR.”
The “Seniors in Riverview Education Service” (SERVES) program invites senior citizens from the community to work part-time at the school, earning $10 an hour for a total of up to 10 hours. During their part-time work, the senior citizens help tutor children, listen to them read, and aid in small-group activities. They also sometimes do clerical work, freeing up teachers and allowing office staff to concentrate on more complicated tasks.
“The basic idea is to encourage seniors to get into our schools, with the hope that even after earning their $100 they might continue on a volunteer basis,” explains Community Services Director David Clohessy. As additional part-time employment opportunities become available, preference is given to participants in the SERVES program.
All program participants must complete district application procedures, including police and Division of Family Services screenings. The cost of the screenings is paid by the district. For the first year of the program, the district budgeted $10,000. Advertisements for the program appeared in church bulletins, newsletters, and newspapers, and the school sponsored an informal introductory session for those who wanted to learn more about the program. The program has attracted considerable positive media coverage, according to the school district.
The SERVES program provides enriching experiences for both generations, and gives seniors the opportunity to help young people. Besides helping boost student achievement by allowing more individualized attention, the district administration hopes the program will help dispel misconceptions citizens might have of their schools by giving them firsthand experience seeing how teachers teach and children learn. Educators also hope that the program will help students and senior citizens increase their respect for each other.
“Everybody wins when citizens get active in schools,” local mayor Luther Bogan says. “This program will help everyone who participates.”
As an ERS Comprehensive subscriber, you would have access to ALL ERS online resources!
Copyright © 2000 Educational Research Service. All rights reserved.
