We have a student run cafe on campus. The idea is that students operate a business open to the public to get on-the-job training in a real-world setting. The cafe is open from 8:00 to 1:00 Monday through Thursday selling coffees, baked goods, salads, soups, and sandwiches. We have students grades nine through twelve working as baristas, sandwich makers, and cash register operators four days a week for the majority of the school year.
Even sitting here writing it out and reading it back to myself, it reads like a fantastic idea. But having seen this work up close and worked with students in the trenches, I am seeing a gap in what looks good on paper and what is actually the best for students. I think my school is one of these schools: a paper school. A school that looks good in annual district reports and political stump speeches about the progress of education. Our school looks great in newspaper articles and magazines. But are our policies and procedures best for student needs?
Even sitting here writing it out and reading it back to myself, it reads like a fantastic idea. But having seen this work up close and worked with students in the trenches, I am seeing a gap in what looks good on paper and what is actually the best for students. I think my school is one of these schools: a paper school. A school that looks good in annual district reports and political stump speeches about the progress of education. Our school looks great in newspaper articles and magazines. But are our policies and procedures best for student needs?