Colleen Hroncich
If you don’t “click” with a doctor, you switch doctors. If you don’t like the products or atmosphere at a store, you switch stores. If you don’t like the equipment or trainers at a gym, you switch gyms. You don’t assume something is wrong with you; you just realize the previous provider wasn’t a good fit.
But when it comes to education, it often doesn’t work that way. If a child isn’t a good fit for a school or vice versa, the problem is usually assumed to be the child. Parents are forced to send their children—sometimes despite tears or physical ailments—for fear of truancy laws. Teachers and school leaders may resort to punishments like lost recess, suspensions, or even isolation rooms when children don’t behave. But does it ever occur to them that the school may just not be a good fit for some children?
Plaza Academy in Kansas City, MO, is different. It was founded in 1974 to serve students who weren’t doing well in conventional schools. According to Ward Worley, Executive Director and a 1985 graduate of Plaza, the student body is primarily teens who have an anxiety disorder, depression, a learning disability, or autism interspersed with kids who have had behavioral problems. He says the school’s small size is very important to what they do, and mental health is a big part of the program.
Ward uses the enrollment process to help students understand that Plaza Academy is a different kind of school. He requires parents and students to visit before enrolling. While there, he emphasizes to the students that the program is voluntary. “If you don’t want to be here, then don’t come here,” he says. “You need to be responsible for your decisions. So we’re trying to teach them personal responsibility in kind of a warm, loving environment. They’re still responsible for their choices whether we say it out loud as adults or not. The choices they make are going to impact their life.” Plus, he adds, “If they have buy in, they’re way more likely to cooperate.”
Because of the student body they serve, including some who have mental health problems and may have inpatient stays in psychiatric hospitals, Ward says, “We’re equipped to deal with kids that have had a number of absences. One of the things that we do to help kids get caught up is we have after-school tutoring three days a week, and every teacher is available.”
Plaza Academy is primarily a full-time school, but some students have different schedules depending on their needs. They use a block schedule Monday through Thursday, with half of the classes meeting for an hour and 50 minutes each on alternate days. On Fridays, all six classes meet for a shorter time, and the school day ends around noon. Teachers like the schedule because it gives them more teaching time on the block days, and the early release is popular with students and teachers.
The school has a sliding scale for tuition based on a family’s income level. “I’m trying not to turn families away. You know, we’re ultimately a social service organization. I want to help kids that I think I can help and make our community better. That’s my goal in life. So if I think I can help you, but your parents, you know, they’re struggling financially, I’m trying not to turn you away.”
Missouri’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program is helping as Ward becomes more familiar with the program. “It’s been not as helpful as I thought it might be initially, but I’m starting to kind of get it figured out. There’s a learning curve for me too,” he says, noting some families have a hard time getting the information they need and getting it to the right place. “I need to stay more involved and help my families get across the finish line with them rather than just giving them the information and hoping it all works out.” One of his donors recently contributed $80,000 through the tax credit program, which Ward says “got my attention.”
For kids who aren’t faring well in a conventional school, an option like Plaza Academy can be a life changer. “They’re used to schools that are kind of like a jail, right? You’re locked down; you’re locked in. If you move, you’re in big trouble. And ‘why are you out of your classroom?’ And ‘you don’t have a hall pass; what are you doing?’ And ‘I’m going to put you in ISS and suspend you,’” says Ward. Plaza offers a different environment for them.
“Teenagers are going to be a little bit naturally rebellious. I’m trying to give them fewer things to be rebellious about,” he explains. “You’re here for you. You’re not here for me. If you don’t want to be here, the door’s open. You can leave. I won’t chase you down the street and tackle you and drag you back in. Obviously, you’re a kid, so I’ve got to call your mom or dad or whoever your guardian is and let them know. But this is your choice.”
Plaza also offers support for parents to help them find positive ways to reinforce what’s happening at school. He meets regularly with parents to explain what and how the students are doing. Being proactive like that helps avoid potential problems. “On the flip side, if your kid’s doing well, you come into my office and I tell you how great your kid’s doing,” he says. “That raises their self-esteem and makes their parents feel good about the kid. And it kind of helps elevate a family when a child starts doing well in school who hasn’t done well previously.”
The Plaza approach seems to be working for the students who enroll. For example, he says their state test scores are pretty good and admits to using an incentive-based approach to encourage the kids to try their best. “When you take your state testing, if you improve your grade or act like you’re at least trying, I will take you out to lunch with the whole staff,” he says. “Sixty-eight percent of our kids improved their score last year. And so what I did was buy them BBQ lunch at this restaurant right down the street from us. We all walked over there and ate lunch. Because we’re small, I’m able to do some things that if I ran a public school, I couldn’t do.”
Ward thinks flexibility is key to encouraging student achievement. “You just need to be aware of the population you’re working with and what they need to be successful rather than just setting these rules and making them fit in these rules,” he says.