Man to get a positive story printed on MWMS is like pulling teeth!

[Merryg]

I am determined to get the positive stories out about MWMS . . . YES there are positive things happening at MWMWS!     I approach the media to run a story on the kids taking High School classes at MWMS.  This was all they put . . as an afterthought. . . "The Communicator has received notice that Maricopa Wells Middle School is offering high school math classes for the middle school students. If the students taking the class receive a passing grade, they will be receive early high school credit. Great work, Maricopa Wells!"

There are now two classes being offered . . Algebra and Language Arts that will give these kids High School credit!  Is it too hard to interview the students, the teachers, etc.  Why does something positive have to be a few sentences but all the negative stuff gets 5 or 6 long articles?  So frustrating! 

Sorry . . had to vent!  Back to your regularly scheduled lives!   

[mallardisme]

What did Maricopa360 and the Maricopa Monitor say?

[Merryg]

Waiting to hear from Monitor.  Didn't contact Maricopa360!     Whoops!  Just want to give kudos to MWMS and MHS for working together to make this happen for these kids.  These kids have worked hard to keep their grades up among all the focus on raising scores of the lower performing kids, etc.  These kids are pretty excited at the chance of earning High School credit and are happily accepting the challenge to do so!  It's nice to see Maricopa USD addressing the needs of these students!  The teachers are pretty excited about these classes too!

[mamad]

Merry,
 That IS great  stuff!! Does MWMS have anewsletter? Ask Rick to post it there ,and submit it to Tom Beckett to be put on MUSD's facebook page,or the district's PR firm are all possibilities.

[Merryg]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I let Tom know.  He's running those student retention and recruitment meetings and these are the kind of stories that parents need to know.  More of the positives need to get out! 

[Desert Dweller]

I am glad you brought up the district's PR firm.  I have a real problem with school districts spending money on public relations campaigns.  That money needs to be spent in the classroom.  Oh, I understand why the PR firm was hired and I even suggested it.  Problem is, if you don't allow yourself to acquire a negative image, you don't need to pay someone to change it.

That being said, and since there is a PR firm in place, they should be out turning over rocks in search of positive stories to publish.   They should have already developed relationships with local media, including this site, and anywhere else people get information and make sure it's positive information.  Not spin, just good stories.  The good stories are out there but they won't get near the publicity as a story about some teacher or administrator going off the deep end.

Hopefully, they are working for the money that was literally taken out of the classroom and placed in their care.

[mallardisme]

I agree, DD.
Actually, the Monitor has done some positive stories on MWMS recently. The middle school has made huge strides since the new principal took over and there was a bit of staff cleaning.

The school district needs to keep sending things out as well as make sure real negative issues just don't occur. The debacle of that specific school was really bad, and was made worse by the lack of reaction from the board, either real or percieved.

Of course, too much good stuff will end up looking like a publicity campain on a news editor's desk. There is a balance that can be met to keep the stories real. Your story sounds good and timely to me both as a news person and as a parent that will be sending a child there next year.

There is another option, in addition to what you have sent. That would be an op-ed piece. I have noticed that those do reach a large audience.

[mamad]

http://www.azschoolsmakeadifference.org/
Here is another ,underutilized area to brag about our kiddos. I used to BEG the suits to use this site 

  The PR firm is hopefully going  to start producing articles and whatnot.
MUSD does have great staff AND kiddos,too!

[Pet Social Worker]

The Monitor has always been very very school friendly.

I don't know why more folks don't spend the $25.00/year for a subscription.  It's really a quality publication. 

[mallardisme]

[mallardisme]

This is the shool that my son will enter next year.

Please know there is no spin here. I want a lot more info before he graduates to MWMS

[Merryg]

Howard, I have struggled with making decisions for our son to go to MWMS since 6th Grade.  (He is now in 8th Grade)  I've always known and live by the philosophy that you get out of it what you put into it.  Knowing that I am an involved parent I decided to go ahead and place him in MWMS.  He has done just fine and actually loves it there.  Last year I was ready to put him into Legacy as I struggled with not being certain he was being challenged enough or well prepared for high school.  At the last minute I decided to keep him at MWMS because quite frankly I had no reason to pull him.  He has no issues with peers, grades are just fine, in Gifted, in clubs/sports, etc.  With me being involved, the faculty and admin not only know who I am but more important they know who my son is.  Thankfully this year in 8th Grade I am happy to report that they (MUSD and MWMS) have offered him two High School credit classes.  He's definitely got his focus on high school.  I know you will be every bit the involved parent.  That's what it takes.  As far as the school itself, I would love to see changes.  Change is good.  I have seen positive changes and would like to still see more changes.  (my other son will be starting 6th Grade next year)  The decision makers need to stop debating about what and when to make these changes and get on the ball and just do it!  A big part of the problem at MWMS is lack of parental involvement.  With every new year I have been there I am hopeful that the new batch of parents coming in with the 6th Graders will be enthusiastic and involved.  It's just not happening.  The school needs to change it's means of reaching the parents and the parents need to know that their voices, their actions, their over all involvement is indeed needed and important - even if little Johnny doesn't want Mom or Dad around their school anymore at this age!  There ARE good things happening at this school.  Those positives don't come out in the media and get overshadowed by all the negatives.  That's one of my issues.  Parents and the community (especially future parents of MWMS) need to hear about the positives.  The students themselves need their positive stories put out there for a boost of school pride.  The ones who are working hard and succeeding need the community behind them.  Lego League, Academic League, Sports Championships, National Junior Honor Society, etc . . . these stories don't get out.  These kids work hard and are very proud of their accomplishments. 

[CopaDave]

The previous principal at Saddleback pulled together a parent/teacher panel to look at ideas for change at the school to pull scores up and increase academic standards. I was asked to sit on the panel.

Some of what we learned was very heartbreaking.  Saddleback's area includes most of the Ak-Chin area.  According to the info, the Native American students were so far below the standards level as to be scary.

We talked to a specialist from Gila River, who said that the problem they found is a lack of motivation in the families.  They have the casino that provides them with a Tribal Check, and a lot of them have a built-in resentment of outsiders, so they have a "why bother, we take care of our own" mentality.  The kids do the bare minimum to get by, knowing that the tribe will always take care of them, so they don't need to excel in anything.

What a way to grow up.  You see some of the same thing in the other students.  They are given everything and don't know the value of working for something.  Why bother when they can get immediate gratification from family.  And if nobody fails, or there are no consequences, then nobody really tries.

[Desert Dweller]

That is sad.  It's one of the reasons that there used to be Indian schools, but that was considered segregationist.  Hell, it was practical.  It didn't solve the problem but it didn't compound the problem either.  And then to think that we are going to allow the Ak Chin tribe to expand their financial base by including land that is now in the tax base into the reservation?  That's crazy.

I am for a gradual assimilation of the entire Native American community into the rest of the American culture.  There is no reason for another generation of Americans to grow up like that.

Too often we concentrate on the athletic achievements of a school and ignore the academic achievements.  In Texas, not having a winning football team is a reason to transfer your child or move to a different town.  Aside from sports, you can't expect the media to come looking for a story.  Someone needs to deliver print ready stories to the media in order to get them published.

[Merryg]

Demographics plays a big part in MWMS.  We've got not only Ak Chin but also the lower socio economic families of the city.  We've got issues with households who may have parents working 2 - 3 jobs just to put bread on the table that have no parents available to help with homework or to show up to things like Curriculum night.  We've got parents who have a language barrier and can't help with homework or don't understand school memos and won't come to things like Meet The Teacher night.  We've got households that don't have internet access, encyclopedias, etc to help the kids with their homework. 

The list can go and on as to how demographics can help or hinder a school's success.  Now I have to speak up on behalf of Ak Chin and say to be careful as to label all of them, or make stereo types.  While some of it is true, there are some parents and kids that I have met that are every bit the involved household at the schools.  On the more positive side, I actually welcome my kids being surrounded and exposed to their culture.  It means a lot to me to have them be able to learn more than just what the textbooks "teach" them about the Native American people and their heritage. 

It takes the community (both the city community and the school community) to come together with Ak Chin and and work as a team.  That mentality of them being their own community needs to stop as far as the school goes.  Some of their students need our help and we need them to be able to be a success in our schools.  A lot of work needs to be done but it can be done.  It just takes acknowledgement of the problem and actual action to deal with the problem.  In other words, don't talk about it . . . BE about it!  The big decision makers need to come together and address all of these problems of the demographic area and find a solution that helps these lower performing students from these households be more of a success story.