Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Department of Juvenile Justice

First Presenter’s Email Address

jamie.mccord@djj.state.ga.us

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Jamie T. McCord recently retired from a school system in Georgia after 30 years of service to her students, their communities, her staff and the district. She stayed home for two months and then took a job as the principal of the Georgia Preparatory Academy at the Augusta Youth Detention Center.

Location

Session Eight

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

The presenter uses her past 30 years of experience as an educator and leader to delve into the effects of poverty on students and families, what school districts can do, and how the two contribute to the pipeline to prison.

Brief Program Description

Confined: Pre K- Jail. Are We(Educators) Detaining Student Potential and Success? How does what school leaders and districts do , or not do contribute to more favorable outcomes for students? Strategies and resources will be shared to assist in allowing you to assist in setting captives Free.

Summary

During my 30 years as a public school educator and leader, I have been captivated by the strength and resilience of my students despite their circumstances. These qualities inspire me to do more. Doing more involved educating myself to their journey, and its effects. I learned a valuable lesson one day while sitting in a meeting with the fathers of two young ladies who had been in a fight t school. While listening to them, I came to better understand their value for their students education. As the father's talked they remembered being in jail together, but each spoke life to their daughter's. They told them that though they had made mistakes , they did not want that to be their life's journey. They spoke to them about the importance of education, and the need to stay in school. I immediately felt ashamed because prior to this conversation, I did not think that certain parents valued education. I realized that that thinking was dangerous for any so called leader. I changed that thought process immediately, and thanked those fathers for pouring into me. After that day, I began paying better attention to what my students were facing. I became a student of teaching and serving with poverty in mind.

Since retiring from public school, I have been the principal of a school housed on a youth detention center for the past two years. Here I use everything that I have learned and continue to learn to best meet the needs of our students. I began with the school culture despite the fact that the facility itself had its own culture. I hired and trained staff that could best facilitate the learning that was expected to take place. We worked to insert our level of expertise into the existing culture, and set out to make our school as close to "a real school" as possible. The teachers worked hard to teach the standards to students who had last attending school when on the elementary level. This required us to plan collaboratively , to analyze student data and behaviors, all while ensuring that one of our first aims was to be cognizant of their social and emotional wellbeing. We had to talk about how to best teach students who had not seen their families in years. We discussed ways to meet students who had been detained for four to five years of their young lives where they were. We had professional development sessions with trained mental health, substance abuse, gang and sex offender counselors. We continue to put all of these strategies and resources together to strive daily to have a positive impact on these young men.

After our first year, we were named school of the year for our region. This year we are nominated for school of the year for our entire district, but we are most proud of the fact that we are graduating students with high school diplomas and GED's. Students are leaving our school with certifications in barbering, construction and horticulture. Students are even dually enrolled in courses via these career pathways with our local technical school. They are also leaving with jobs and opportunities for further success. We believe that as a result of the time that they spend with us , they are better prepared to reenter society.

Evidence

After our first year, we were named school of the year for our region. This year we are nominated for school of the year for our entire district, but we are most proud of the fact that we are graduating students with high school diplomas and GED's. Students are leaving our school with certifications in barbering, construction and horticulture. Students are even dually enrolled in courses via these career pathways with our local technical school. They are also leaving with jobs and opportunities for further success. We believe that as a result of the time that they spend with us , they are better prepared to reenter society.

Learning Objective 1

leave with strategies and resources to assist in effectively assisting students living in poverty

Learning Objective 2

recognize what the pipeline to prison looks like in our schools and how to ward against its prevalence.

Learning Objective 3

affect change on the district level in the area of effective assistance for communities living in poverty..

Keyword Descriptors

Pipeline to Prison, The Effects of Poverty on Students and Families, What can districts/ systems do

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-6-2024 9:15 AM

End Date

3-6-2024 9:45 AM

Download

Share

COinS
 
Mar 6th, 9:15 AM Mar 6th, 9:45 AM

Confined: PreK- Jail. Are We(Educators) Detaining Student Potential and Success ?

Session Eight

Confined: Pre K- Jail. Are We(Educators) Detaining Student Potential and Success? How does what school leaders and districts do , or not do contribute to more favorable outcomes for students? Strategies and resources will be shared to assist in allowing you to assist in setting captives Free.