Getting Families Involved In Learning
What Can Business Do?

Peter C. Hutchinson
Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools

Summary Notes

Kids spend 20% of time in school, but 80% of their time in the family and the community. That means 80% of the "curriculum" to which children are exposed exists in the family and community. Yet we spend 0% of our time thinking deliberately and critically about the family and community curriculum.

Today, the ratio of youth-to-adults is the highest ever. And most adults in families work. The amount of time parents have to commit to the family and community curriculum is even further reduced by the demands of work. As a result, people responsible for delivering the family and community curriculum have the least time available that they have ever had.

We can't solve this problem by "letting schools do it." Schools are overloaded with social tasks (food, clothes, medical, etc), and when they have time left they teach. We need the community and employers in the deal.

"Employers must take learning seriously!"

Changing Community Values

Recycling is a good example of the kind of change in community values that we need. We don't fine people for not recycling; we don't penalize them. Government first tried to educate the community through TV ads, and then focused on creating a community value to support recycling. Government handed out colorful recycling bins to make it more convenient. But convenience is minor compared to making recycling more visible. Everyone in the neighborhood can look around and "take attendance" - see who is and who is not recycling. Every school kid on the bus can see who is and who isn't recycling. The bins were more about creating a community value than about convenience. Schools played an important role when little kids came home and said "Dad, you're hurting Mother Earth if you don't recycle."

We've made similar changes in community values on drinking and driving and on smoking. If we can do it with recycling, we can do it with learning.

Minneapolis schools have 47,000 students - 47,000 who can be cheerleaders for the cause of learning and who can send a message home.

Promoting Family Involvement

The Minneapolis schools have developed clear expectations for family involvement (for a copy of the complete document call 627-2255):

Minneapolis Family Involvement Standards

• Support learning in the family.

• High expectations.

• Direct support for success of the child.

• Active support for the school.

We need a community initiative parallel to the approach taken on recycling in order to create a community value around learning. I suggest these elements, and employers have a role to play in each:

• Educate families about learning. This is a role for employers.

• Create a community of values around learning. We all need to know the expectations. We need to know about the [statewide] 8^th grade test and support it.

• Make it convenient, and make it a priority. Communicate that our children are our number one priority. Employers could provide information on how to teach math.

• Make it self-reinforcing. Human Resource managers do not look at high school transcripts and that sends a powerful message to youth. The Youth Trust is working on an alternative transcript that might contain more information relevant to employers - information on team work, attitude, communication, etc. Human Resource managers should tell employees what they seek in new employees and tell them what that means for schools and learning.

• Make it rewarding. Celebrate. If a kid learns reading, give her a dictionary with her name embossed on it. Employers could share news about achievements of youngsters. On milk cartons and flyers, put the faces of the kids who do well in school or the 14 kids from Anwatin who volunteer at the Minnesota AIDS Project.

Who is learning important to?

If it is important to employers, how do they demonstrate that it is important?

If we eliminated drop outs, if we ensured that they all graduate, there would be 1500 more high school graduates each year. Each graduate would earn $10,000 more per year than if they had dropped out of school, and the combined income would equal $15 million more income per year flowing into the economy and helping to support families.

80% of the time students are learning some place other than in the school. What is in that curriculum? We need to work on this - as a community.

What Can Business Do?

• Ask how to engage broader community? What is the community curriculum? The family and community has a curriculum, even if unintentional, but we don't think much about it.

• Corporate giving - do you ask if the grant applicant teaches kids, and what, and how? Just asking will get them thinking and make a difference.

• Make the community safe. For kids, based on our surveys, the schools are safe - it is in the community that they are fearful. The Mayor of Minneapolis has supported safety corridors as one first step in expanding the areas in which kids can feel safe.

• Engage in the welfare reform debate and think about its implications for kids. The fastest growing group in the schools is comprised of kids whose first language is not English; yet welfare reform may eliminate them from services. The probability is that they, along with their families, will turn to schools for medical, food and clothing. And that will overload the schools.

Summary of a presentation by Peter C. Hutchinson, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools, at the January 15 meeting of the Work«Life Network meeting.

Responses to Questions

• Companies can buy teaching aids such as Teaching Children Reading or Math. Call 627-2010. One CEO bought books for employees who committed to reading to their children.

• The School of Extended Learning which is open all day and all year. It has positive educational outcomes, and it is a plus for working parents.

Comments from The Work«Life Network Members:

• Do employers tell employees about and promote the law that allows leave to attend school?

• Employers could pay people to take that kind of leave.

• Do people know what assets are available to them. Many seem not to be aware of the resources that they can call on.

• Work/Family Directions has tip sheets related to schools and learning. And they have added a community development team.

• Companies could let employees leave work at 3 PM.

• Link company email to schools.

• Use existing community vehicles and processes. WEB sites.

• Senior executives must tell managers that leave for school projects is a high priority. It is not enough to tell employees.

• Connect employees to resources. Use the Employee Assistance Program.

• Locate schools near businesses and share resources.

Center for Ethical Business Cultures

1000 LaSalle Avenue, TMH 331 ▪ Minneapolis, MN 55403-2005 ▪ USA

Phone: 651 962 4120 or 800 328 6819 Ext. 2-4120 ▪ Facsimile: 651 962 4042

Email: mail@cebcglobal.org

© 1978-2008 Center for Ethical Business Cultures. All Rights Reserved.

Business Partnering with the University of St. Thomas - Minnesota