OPINION: Public education for at-risk youth must not falter, says SYF President and CEO

When the academic year 2010-2011 graduation season began in early May, Simon Youth Foundation President and CEO J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., expressed his thoughts on the state of public education, specifically alternative education programs, in an op-ed piece that was shared with news outlets in the cities that are home to one of our Simon Youth Academies.

Now, as the end of June has brought a close to this most recent graduation season, Durnil's op-ed piece is being posted here for SYF blog visitors to read and share.


May 9, 2011

The moral imperative to save public school alternative education programs

In the short time it will take you to read this article, between eight and 10 American high school students will drop out of school.

This is not the promise of a great nation.

If you believe, as I do, that learning feeds personal liberty and happiness, education must be seen as an unalienable right.

Our country must make it a moral standard to extend focused opportunities to at-risk students so that they too can participate in the annual graduation ceremonies that millions of American families will celebrate this month. Indeed, at-risk students can go anywhere their dreams take them, and our public schools must be the place where it all starts for them.

Start here. Go anywhere.

This can and must be the promise fulfilled by the country’s public education system. However, as our national dialogue continues to have a near singular focus on relieving the country’s heavy debt burden, deep cuts to public education budgets have become the crucial component of balancing government budgets, demonizing our teachers along the way.

Such vitriolic discourse has led to anger among the many proponents of public education. Public education’s defenders argue that draconian cuts to school system budgets will further erode the performance of U.S. students, compared to those in other industrialized nations, which in turn will cripple the future competitiveness of the country’s workforce and industries. I see these fears as a real possibility.

Yet, my outlook is not completely bleak. I am a product of and a believer in public education. I see great opportunity in the difficult circumstances facing our nation’s school systems. The opportunity to form public school district partnerships with public foundations and leading corporations that are capable of bridging budget gaps to sustain quality alternative education programs and reverse the nation’s alarming drop-out rate.

At Simon Youth Foundation, we are proving these types of partnerships work, and we are serving as a national model. Our 501 (c)(3) public charity, along with local school district partners and private entities, like Simon Property Group, CVS Caremark, and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, has established a successful nationwide network of alternative schools for at-risk high school students that since 1998 has helped more than 7,000 students earn a high school diploma, and another 1,200 will graduate this month as part of the class of 2011.

As this academic year closes, SYF has more than 3,300 students enrolled at the 23 Simon Youth Academies we sponsor in 13 states. In time for the start of the upcoming academic year, we plan to open a 24th academy in a 14th state.

In many of the communities we serve, our Simon Youth Academy is the only alternative public school serving our partner local school districts, and by pairing public funds with private money, we’ve been able to keep the doors open. The school systems provide passionate teachers and thoughtful, state-approved curriculum. Simon Property Group malls and other commercial real estate partners provide the rent-free learning space, often inside storefronts, and SYF covers related operating costs; hosts best-practices forums; and provides school enhancement grants and financial aid and scholarships to students.

Our SYF students want to learn and graduate, but regrettably, many have come to our academies after being told they can’t or they won’t. They may be forced to work full-time to help their families, some are homeless, and others just need a second chance. For a range of reasons, they are unable to participate in a traditional classroom setting, but SYF gives them the hope that they can and will earn their high school diploma. In the same way, I believe the success of our SYF model should provide hope to policy makers for the future of public education.

We can ensure all students earn their high school diploma, no matter the odds against them. As your communities celebrate graduations in the days and weeks to come, take time to remember those who want so badly to cross that stage but whose circumstances have dimmed hope that it can happen. Committed partnerships can reignite hope by sustaining programs that preserve the right to education for all students.

Start here. Go Anywhere.

This is our SYF vision and what we tell our students when they enter our academies. It’s a message of hope. I have hope that as a nation we can start here with a real, substantive discourse about the future of public education and be open to going anywhere that the best solutions for school districts can be found.

J. Michael Durnil

President and CEO

Simon Youth Foundation