CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Investment Schools Community Meeting
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Thursday, May, 2, 2013
People
1. Staff members who work at Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy will re-interview for
their positions. Describe the personality of a successful, helpful teacher for your
scholar.
 Caring
 Understanding
 Communicate and make a connection with the child – relate to the child
 Dedicated teacher who wants to teach and not just get a paycheck
 Willing to go the extra mile
2. What should your scholar’s teachers be able to do?
 Whatever her job requires – To perform job duties per title
 Should be able to communicate with parents – stay in touch
 Tell me when it happens – not a week later, before issues arise.
 Teachers should be proficient in their subject matter
 Be able to motivate children
 Be a leader
 Work with teachers and kids
 Strong – Rule with an iron fist
 Has to be respected
 Be able to discipline
 Principal should also be able to lead and work with teachers and kids
3. Who should be part of the committee to select new hires?
 Eric Gordon
 Principals and teachers
 Senior staff should have input
 Community leaders – ministers and council people
4. All staff members will be asked to sign an investment letter to commit to doing the
hard work necessary at Franklin D. Roosevelt. What are some terms that they
should agree to?
 Staff should agree to extra time to help students who may need tutoring (give up
lunch and stay after school)
 Being committed to the children
 Listen and help them
 Parties and bake sales to reward kids as an incentive for good kids
5. How would you like adults at Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate with you about
your scholar?
 Weekly progress reports.
 Emails
 Online access to view grades
CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Time
6. The school day will not be lengthened for all scholars, but there will be
opportunities for some scholars to take part in extended learning time. What
should this time be used for? (i.e.: work time on computers, extra instruction in
reading or math, small group or individual tutoring, book club, etc.)
 Extra instruction in reading and math
 Small group or individual tutoring
 Outside resources in various subject matters
7. If your scholar could spend more time at school, when would work best for your
family? Staying later in the afternoon? Starting earlier in the morning? Coming to
school once a month on Saturday? Keeping school hours the same but taking
shorter school vacations?
 7:30 am or after school
 One hour before start and/or 1½ hour after school.
Money
8. How can the visible appearance of the school building be improved? What would
make it feel more clean, more safe, more welcoming?
 Keep it clean – outside and inside
 Update restrooms
 Grass cut consistently
9. Have you noticed anything about the school that makes you feel money is being
used in smart ways, or that money is being wasted?
 Good computer lab
 No waste
10. What kinds of investments would demonstrate to you that the school has changed
in positive ways?
 More computers
 Improvement in child’s behavior
 Music program
 Sports
 Books
Programs
11. What organizations in the community do you trust to offer services to your scholar
and your family?
 City Year
 Boy Scouts
 Young Scholars
 Young artists
 Churches
 Inter-generational programs

CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Fatima Center
12. How could the school work in cooperation with organizations in the community to
help your scholar and your family?
 Build a sense of self pride
 Understand themselves and whatever they are going through
 Broaden their horizons – for example a mural for young artists
 Financial planning
 African-American studies
13. What non-academic programs or extra-curricular activities would appeal to
scholars (i.e.: sports, arts, chess, gardening, anything else)?
 Art, reading, performing arts, sports, band, home economics.
14. What kinds of activities help your scholar to learn best?
 Hands-on
 When students interact with classmates and learn
 Peer tutoring
15. How do you believe your scholar should spend his or her time at school?
 Learning
 Having fun while learning
 Lessons that make sense to kids
 Kids revisit lessons
 Pop up quiz
 Recitation of subject matter
 Visual stimulation
 Associative learning
INPUT FROM PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
What matters about People: All the adults who work
at FDR
Effectively communicate with other staff members
“Professionalism”
Caring
Understanding
Know how to relate to children
Know how to relate to parents/guardians
Dedicated; not just there to receive a paycheck
Willing to go the “extra mile” for their students
Be proactive in communication with parent before issues arise
Perform job duties required in their job title
Proficient in subject matter
Know how to motivate children
Be a leader
CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Rule with iron fist
Firm with discipline
Be respected
Principal must be able to step in when needed
Senior teaching staff, parents and community leaders (ministers, councilmen) should
have input on new hires
Willing to take extra time to help students who need support in a subject (lunch, afterschool)
Listen to children
Give incentives (parties, giveaways)
Patient
Prepared (and then some)
Should like children
Be respectful and knowledgeable about community where school is located
Principal should be visible
Fair and equitable
Provide documentation for written rules and investigation of incidents
Be accountable
Open door policy
CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Well organized
Follow Board policies
Local community agencies
Prepare any potential committee person with training
Students should be on the interview committee (high school)
All parties come together
Parent/teacher contract of involvement
In older grades, students should sign a contract
Teachers should provide a syllabus
Teachers should call parents and ensure that they have phone numbers
Daily communication if necessary; weekly would also be good
Not always communicating with parents about negative things; call for good as well
Contact parents about opportunities for children
Parents should have teachers’ phone numbers and email addresses
Provide individual (specifically with parent) outreach
How to get parents to come to meeting
What matters about Time: Making every minute count
at FDR
After-school
Starting 30-45 minutes earlier
Extra time for reading and math
Small group or individual tutoring
Outside resources to help with subject matter
Revisit lesson within the same week so that it makes sense to kids
Take out gym
Alternative teaching methods (i.e.: can teach math in gym, music, etc.)
Independent learning projects
Hands-on learning
Leave as is
Saturday classes
Year-round school
Time on “task”
Learning more
Learn to be and stay focused
Life skills
CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
What matters about Money: Making the most of every dollar at FDR
Outside/inside cleanliness
Update restrooms
Grass cut consistently
SMART boards
Computer lab
Organizations that work with behavioral issues
Music programs
Books
Person needed to direct traffic in the parking lot
SMART (see painting)
New learning programs
Updated technology
Proper training on how to use new technology (for parents, teachers, community
volunteers)
o Should receive stipends
What matters about Programs: Supporting the success of every scholar at FDR
City Year
Boy Scouts
Young Scholars
Young Artists
Churches
Inter-generational programs
Fatima Center
Fraternities/sororities
Building a sense of pride
Understanding themselves and the challenges they are going through
Broaden their horizons
Creating a mural
Financial planning
Afro-study programs
Phone calls
Weekly progress reports
Emails
Online access for viewing grades/progress reports
Art
Performing arts
Sports teams (x2)
Band
CMSD Phase One Investment Schools 2013-14
Home economics
Hands-on- student interact with classmate and learn
Peer tutoring
Computers
Continuing First In Math
Have fun while learning
Pop-up quiz
Recitation of subject matter
Visual stimulation
Associative learning (word association)
Myrtis Taylor Connections (health)
Tri-C
Metro- Health
Invite in without qualifications
Have organizations invite parents in to introduce them to organizations
Chess club
Gardening
Ball room dancing
As IC students
Bowling
Project-based learning
o Family projects
Community service
INPUT FROM SCHOLARS AT FDR: What matters to us?
Less violence
Expressing themselves
Not talking about other students
Bullying
Better strategies for learning math
No more dress code because:
o Kids would feel more comfortable
o Kids would have better concentration
o Kids would be able to express themselves
Go into classroom to see what is working for students and what is not working for
students
Let everyone go outside for lunch
Use library as a place to concentrate; go to the library in between classes to get a
book
Use outside to do experiments; connect outside environment to learning
Teachers should:
o Teach everyone
o Work with students to read and sound out words
o Not let kids do things over and over again
o Give more breaks; time to stretch
o Continue their own education
o Help students step-by-step
o Work with small groups during lunch
o Focus on spelling
o Practice math problems
o Give extra credit
o Allow work to bring grade up
Learn more of what you started that day
More specials (gym, art, reading intervention, music)
Read (11)
Basketball
Gymnastics
Wrestling
Boxing
Extra time preferences:
o Short vacation (3)
o One Saturday a month (3)
o Longer afternoons (2)
Extracurricular activity preferences:
o Art (3)
o Music (2)
o Gymnastics (3)
o Cheerleading (2)
o Football (1)
o Wrestling (1)
o Basketball (1)
o Baseball (1)
o Soccer (1)
o Hockey (1)
o Tennis (1)