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Perspectives Calumet marks first graduation
By: Sarah Karp / May 28, 2010
The ceremony at Perspective Calumet Charter School on Thursday was more like a victory celebration than a graduation. Amid cheers and applause, the outgoing seniors were reminded several times that they are special as the first graduating class.
“It is a great day for you, a great day for Auburn Gresham and a great day for Chicago,” boomed Rev. Michael Pfleger, the priest at St. Sabina Church, who kicked off the ceremony.
St. Sabina is located in Auburn Gresham.
The ceremony at Perspective Calumet Charter School on Thursday was more
like a victory celebration than a graduation. Amid cheers and applause,
the outgoing seniors were reminded several times that they are special
as the first graduating class.
“It is a great day for you, a great day for Auburn Gresham and a
great day for Chicago,” boomed Rev. Michael Pfleger, the priest at St.
Sabina Church, who kicked off the ceremony.
St. Sabina is located in Auburn Gresham.
Much has been made about the fact that standardized test scores of
charter schools are not markedly better than regular Chicago Public
Schools. This is the case of Perspectives Calumet Charter, which
includes a smaller high school named CalTech, where the average ACT
score is about 15.
Still, Perspectives Calumet executive director Rhonda Hopps says the
school has a lot to celebrate with this inaugural graduation. The
principals and staff have done a much better job of keeping students in
school and getting them to college than at the old Calumet High School,
she says.
More than 70 percent of the original freshmen walked across the
stage Thursday and more than 90 percent of the students are headed to
college, according to Hopps. Official drop out and graduation data won’t
be released for another year as CPS tracks a five-year cohort of
students.
The old Calumet High School only graduated about a third of their
students and sent only a third of their graduates to college.
Members of the community advisory committee that decided to bring
Perspectives to Calumet over other charter providers stood behind the
podium like proud parents. They said that many told them Calumet
was a lost cause. Perspectives success at graduating students proves everyone wrong, they said.
While the students seemed to take note of the larger significance of
their graduation, they were mostly consumed with the emotions that most
graduates face as they prepare for one of life’s big transitions.
Through tears, valedictorian Sade Johnson congratulated her peers on
surviving the past four years. “Through it all we stayed together and we
grew to know each other,” she said. “Laughing, crying and having fun.”
Perspectives Calumet marks first graduation
First, congratulations to this graduating class and to Perspective Calumet Charter School. It seems like those first 4 years are the longest and hardest, on both the teachers and the students!
However, as educators, can we PLEASE stop telling children how "special" they are? I am constantly shaking my head at how many students feel like they are entitled to anything they desire. Children have lost the sense of humbleness and humility, and quite frankly, it's embarrassing to explain to a student that doing homework and writing down random answers are not the same thing and do not deserve equal credit. I am constantly floored by the number of students I see every day who believe they should pass their classes, get into college, and live a good life without putting forth effort. The whole "But I'm me" nonsense needs to go. The students can't possibly be prepared for the real world when they believe they are special and unique, instead of just another resume. They need to MAKE themselves special; they need to WORK to be unique.
Perspectives Calumet marks first graduation
Congratulations to the educators, administration and students of Perspectives Calumet! Continued development, success and growth. Make no small plans!
Ladon Brumfield, Executive Director
Girls Rule!
www.girlz-rule.org
"It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men."
Perspectives Calumet marks first graduation
Congrats to all the graduates. I pray a blessing over all of you to be great achievers and wonderful laborers for your city, and country!
Perspectives Calumet marks first graduation
As a leader in the community and member of the Calumet Transition Advisory Council (TAC). I am very proud of our Perspectives students, staff, parents and community. When Perspectives came to Auburn Gresham the TAC set the standards high for our children and let Perspectives know our children would not be viewed as just another group of African American children but they were to be treated like our most prize possession. For 5 years the TAC has been involved in the planning and growth at Perspectives Calumet. We made a commitment to the community to hold Perspective accountable and we did it. Community involvement is so lack in our schools for one reason or another. The people of Auburn Gresham said in 2005 "The schools in our community are changing; we're embracing the change with excitement and expectations of a brighter future for our children, parents and community" By the grace of God we've made a bifference and the best is yet to come. Hats off to the Auburn Gresham community for coming together as one voice supporting and demanding better for our children. This should serve as a model across the city.
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