A thorough review of the book, The One-Year School Turnaround, has been undertaken and now reaches its end. It was necessary to examine in depth the book's ideas as its author, James Young, will be in charge of Duval County's most endangered schools.
Young wraps up his prescription for turning around schools by describing the importance of having fun, celebration, and appreciation a part of the activities and environment of the school. It is hard to work in a turnaround school and some appreciation goes a long way to maintaining the motivation and efforts of faculty, staff, and students.
He wraps up by saying to minimize negative influences and maximize positive influences. Basically, what he means is to put the right people in place and let them do their work. Don't interfere, state officials, district staff, consultants, etc. Given the freedom and resources they need, school-based personnel can make the vital differences needed to lift schools.
I wish him well. The environment has changed since he was principal of Ribault High School. If he is aware of the changes in state assessment, state regulation, and state law, as he should be given that he is running a consulting firm, he should be able to produce the improvement needed. I do think he does not have enough time (only four months from December to April) for the three immediate schools, but I suspect he is in place to learn the schools and will receive the management contract in June should any of those schools not make a C under Florida's grading formula.
He will find it harder to get the resources he wants. Unfortunately, the legislature is determined to strip funding from school boards and there isn't the money available that there was six years ago. Speaking of outside, negative influences, he will not find help from Jacksonville's philanthropic establishment as they have decided they are experts--having never earned education degrees nor worked in an actual public school--and insist on being given the power to set policy and make operating decisions in return for funding.
Talk about needing to minimize negative influences.
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