>> NEW MEXICO SAW A GAIN IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
OVERALL LAST YEAR, 71% OF THE STUDENTS MADE IT TO THE
GRADUATION STAGE, BUT THERE IS A GENDER DIVIDE WE DON'T HEAR
ABOUT OFTEN.
THE GRADUATION RATE FOR YOUNG WOMEN IS 73%.
FOR YOUNG MEN IT IS LOWER, 65%.
PRODUCER SARAH GUSTAVUS SAT DOWN WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS
AND SCHOOL STAFF TO ASK HOW THEY WERE ADDRESSING THIS
ISSUE AND WHAT SERVICES AND APPROACHES MIGHT BETTER HELP
TEENS WHO ARE STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY.
>> EVERYONE AGREES WE WANT YOUNG PEOPLE TO GRADUATE FROM
HIGH SCHOOL BUT ARE WE PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS
OF YOUNG MEN WHO MIGHT BE FALLING BEHIND?
TO START A CONVERSATION HERE AT NEW MEXICO INFOCUS ABOUT
THIS ISSUE, I AM JOINED BY EZRA SPITZER, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE NEW MEXICO CHILD ADVOCACY NETWORK;
LORILEI CHAVEZ, NATIVE AMERICAN LIAISON AT BERNALILLO
HIGH SCHOOL AND RON LUCERO, TRUANCY PREVENTION MANAGER AT
ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> EZRA, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.
THESE NUMBERS OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN,
IT MIGHT SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE.
WHAT IS BEHIND THAT?
WHAT GOING ON FOR BOYS TODAY?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW.
IT IS HARD TO SAY AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT DATA THROUGH
RACE LINES AS WELL TO SEE IF THERE WAS MORE DIFFERENCES
THERE.
I CERTAINLY KNOW THERE IS CERTAINLY A SYSTEM SOMETIMES
TO CRIMINALIZE BOYS OF COLOR AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO
SEE IF SOME OF THAT IS AT WORK IN THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL.
AND I THINK ADOLESCENCE IS A TOUGH TIME AS WELL.
AND THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE
AND CHILDREN AND SOME OF THOSE AT LATER AGE, THOSE ADVERSE
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, YOU KNOW, BEGIN TO HAVE IMPACT.
>> WE ARE GOING TO GET INTO THAT DEFINITELY.
RON, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
WHAT IS GOING ON FOR YOUNG MEN?
>> YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN ARE STRUGGLING WITH A VARIETY
OF THINGS IN THEIR LIVES.
BASED ON MY WORK, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO WORK AND THEY ARE
HIGHER FOR MALES, GRADUATION RATES ARE LOWER FOR MALES.
USED TO BE ARREST RATES AND STILL ARE HIGHER FOR MALES
BECAUSE I WORKED IN THAT SYSTEM FOR MANY YEARS, BUT THE
PRESSURES AMONGST OUR YOUTH TODAY AND WORLD, THE WORLD
THEY LIVE IN TODAY IS VERY DEMANDING SO IT IS NOT
SURPRISING THAT WE SEE STRUGGLES WITH A VARIETY OF
THINGS, INCLUDING GRADUATION, COMPLIANCE WITH RULES AND
REGULATIONS IN OUR SOCIETY.
SO, THIS IS NOT A NEW THING.
I HAVE WORKED IN NEW MEXICO YOUTH AND FAMILIES FOR OVER 40
YEARS.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE SEE ARE TROUBLING.
>> HOW SO?
>> SOME OF THE VIOLENCE WE SEE IN OUR STREETS, THE MAGNITUDE
OF THE COVERAGE OF THINGS IN OUR LIFE.
EVERYTHING IS IMMEDIATE.
YOU SEE THIS, AND THE THEIR PROCESSING IS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT THAN YOU TALKED ABOUT BRAIN STUDY.
I AM NOT SURPRISED THAT YOUTH OF TODAY ARE RESPONDING TO
WHAT THEY SEE AROUND THEM AND PRESSURES THAT ARE PUT ON
THEM.
>> RON MENTIONED ATTENDANCE.
THAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORK ON.
RESEARCH WITH ATTENDANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS, CRUCIAL
FOR GETTING KIDS TO THE GRADUATION STAGE.
WHY ARE SOME STUDENTS SKIPPING SCHOOL?
>> SOME OF THE REASONS WE SEE IS MAYBE THEY WANT TO WORK.
IN MY CASE, I WORK IN THE SCHOOL WHERE IT IS KIND OF A
RURAL POPULATION SO THEY TRAVEL FROM FAR AWAY TO GET TO
SCHOOL.
SO, THEY DON'T REALLY FEEL CONNECTED AT THE SCHOOL TO THE
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.
EVEN A TEACHER, IF THERE IS NOT SOMEONE THERE THAT THEY
FEEL CONNECTED TO, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL AS
ENCOURAGED TO GO TO SCHOOL.
OTHER THINGS AS FAR AS THE STUDENTS WORK WITH NATIVE
AMERICAN STUDENTS IS, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THEY ARE FACED
TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR CULTURE AND ACTIVITIES AT HOME
THAT THEY MUST PARTICIPATE IN AND THAT IS A VERY FINE LINE
THAT THEY WALK, NOT ONLY AS STUDENTS BUT MORE SO AS NATIVE
AMERICAN STUDENTS.
SO WE SEE THOSE DIFFERENCES IN ATTENDANCE ALL ACROSS THE
BOARD NOT JUST IN MALES BUT IN DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND
RACES YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCES AMONG CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM RATES.
>> YOU MENTIONED CULTURAL ACTIVITY.
HOW DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HELP YOUNG PEOPLE BALANCE
THOSE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY OBLIGATIONS WITH BEING IN
SCHOOL?
>> WELL, I AM FORTUNATE TO WORK FOR A VERY UNIQUE SCHOOL
DISTRICT WHERE WE COLLABORATE VERY COHESIVELY WITH THE
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.
WE DO WORK WITH SEVEN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.
WE WORK WITH THEM TO FIND OUT THEIR DIFFERENT FEAST DAYS SO
WE CAN ALIGN OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR TO MEET AS BEST WE
CAN THE DIFFERENT EVENTS THEY MIGHT BE HAVING ON THE PUEBLO.
THAT HAS SHOWN SOMEWHAT OF A DIFFERENCE IN ATTENDANCE
RATES, BUT, THERE ARE STILL THINGS THAT COME UP ON THE
SPUR OF THE MOMENT THAT SOMETIMES THESE STUDENTS HAVE
TO FACE.
>> IN A RURAL DISTRICT, IS TRANSPORTATION AN ISSUE?
DO KIDS NEEDS A RIDE TO SCHOOL?
>> THAT IS A VERY UNIQUE ISSUE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
SOME STUDENTS TRAVEL AS FAR AS 35 MILES TO GET TO THE SCHOOL.
IN THE WINTER THEY GET UP AS EARLY AT 6:00 A.M. AND CATCH
THE BUS IN THE DARK.
THEN WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO DRIVE FIVE MINUTES TO THE
CAMPUS.
SO, THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT ASPECTS UNDER TRANSPORTATION
THAT OUR STUDENTS FACE.
ONE OF THE THINGS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES IS WE DO TRY TO
PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL ACTIVITIES, FROM SPORTS
ACTIVITY TO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, TO DANCES, TO
COLLEGE TRIPS.
WE PROVIDE FULL TRANSPORTATION TO ALL OUR STUDENTS WITHIN THE
DISTRICT.
>> ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHY ARE STUDENTS MISSING
SCHOOL, PARTICULARLY YOUNG MEN?
>> WELL, LIKE LORILEI STATED, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS
AND STUDIES AND WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN MOST SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE ARE STRUGGLES WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SOME
KIDS ARE MAYBE IN A GRADE LEVEL THAT IS NOT CONDUCIVE
WITH THEIR READING LEVEL.
THERE IS POVERTY.
THERE IS HOMELESSNESS.
CLEARLY BULLYING.
A VARIETY OF THINGS KEEP CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL.
BOYS AND GIRLS BOTH STRUGGLE WITH THAT BUT BOYS SEEM TO
HAVE ALSO THE PROPENSITY TO DEAL WITH THE CONFLICT HERE
AND THERE.
THERE IS CONFLICTS THAT TAKE PLACE ON CAMPUS, SPORTING
EVENTS THEY ARE ALL INVOLVED IN, BOYS AND GIRLS, CAN BE SO
COMPETITIVE THAT WE OFTENTIMES SEE IT SPREADING OVER INTO THE
STANDS AND STUFF NOWADAYS.
AGAIN, I THINK IT IS PRESSURES AROUND THE CHILDREN, BUT
CLEARLY SOME OF THOSE INDICATORS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT
ARE HOMELESSNESS, POVERTY, CURRICULUM STRUGGLES, THOSE
TYPES OF INDICATORS.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD?
>> I THINK THEY BOTH HIT THAT PIECE ABOUT CONNECTEDNESS IS
IMPORTANT.
IN OUR WORK, WE'RE PRIMARILY DEALING WITH STUDENTS WHO HAVE
DISCONNECTED FROM WORK OR DISCONNECTED FROM SCHOOL AND
THAT LACK OF CONNECTIVITY IS REALLY, I THINK, THAT IS SO
MUCH AT THE HEART AND THERE IS SO MANY ISSUES THERE, YOU
KNOW, ABOUT THE SYSTEM, RIGHT.
THOSE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ARE REAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES
ARE REAL, RIGHT?
JUST A LOT OF STUFF, AND IT IS HARD.
IT IS BREAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS.
AND FINDING A WAY TO GET THOSE CONNECTIONS BACK AND THAT
CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION AND THINGS LIKE
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THAT IS
WHERE CONNECTIVITY COMES FROM.
>> THERE IS A COUPLE OF LEVELS.
CONNECTIVITY TO TEACHERS AND STAFF AND FEELING THERE IS
VALUE IN EDUCATION.
LET'S START WITH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNG MEN TO
HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE THEY TRUST AT SCHOOL?
>> YEAH, SO THE CONNECTIVITY, EXACTLY, IS DEFINITELY AN
ADULT-YOUTH CONNECTION AND PEER CONNECTION.
IT IS BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AND I THINK IT IS IN SORT OF, YOU
KNOW, ACADEMIC TERMS, WE CALL THAT SOCIAL CAPITAL, BUT
SOMEONE WHO IS THERE AND GETS YOU AND UNDERSTANDS YOU,
RIGHT, SO WHEN YOU MISS CLASS IT IS NOT AN ISSUE OF YOU
MISSED CLASS, YOU'RE A BAD PERSON, BUT, LIKE, WHAT
HAPPENED?
IT IS LIKE, WELL, IT WAS FEAST DAY OR IT WAS THIS.
SOMEONE WHO CAN BE THAT ADVOCATE FOR YOU, BUT THAT
PEER CONNECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT?
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO FEEL PART OF THAT COMMUNITY AND THAT IS
WHY I THINK ONCE THEY DISCONNECT, IT IS SO HARD --
THERE IS A LOT OF INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE
DESIGNED OUT THERE TO BE A PATHWAY BUT THE PROBLEM IS,
THEY ARE REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE ON TO AND INTO.
AND IT IS JUST ONCE THEY DISCONNECT, IT IS VERY, VERY
HARD TO COME BACK.
AND IN OUR EXPERIENCE, TO GET BACK, YOU HAVE TO BUILD THAT
CAPITAL AROUND THEM, TO GET THEM BACK.
>> LORILEI, HOW DO YOU DRAW ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH WHAT
YOU DO WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AT BERNALILLO?
>> AS FAR AS CONNECTEDNESS, ONE THING WE DO AT BERNALILLO
HIGH SCHOOL, WE STRIVE ON SCHOOL CULTURE.
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE EVERY STUDENT FEEL LIKE THEY ARE AT
HOME AND THEY HAVE A PLACE.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR
IS WE ARE BRINGING IN ELDERLY GREETERS TO THE SCHOOL.
SOMETHING LIKE WAL-MART, HOW WAL-MART AS GREETERS AS YOU
WALK IN, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE GREETERS OF ALL
ETHNICITIES, HISPANIC, NATIVE AMERICAN GREETERS, JUST PEOPLE
FROM THE PUEBLOS, FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHO HAVE A BUY-IN
IN OUR SCHOOL AND THAT UNDERSTAND THIS CONNECTION,
THAT IF THEY DON'T CONNECT WITH THE YOUTH NOW, LATER ON
WHEN THEY BECOME OUR WORKFORCE AND GOVERNORS AND TRIBAL
LEADERS, THAT THEY HAVE A FIRM FOUNDATION ON WHAT COMMUNITY
MEANS.
AND THAT SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS IS THE BEGINNING
OR THE ROOT TO THAT IN SCHOOLS.
>> RON, EZRA MENTIONED INTERVENTIONS.
WHAT INTERVENTIONS WORK TO GET A YOUNG PEOPLE BEFORE THEY ARE
TOTALLY DISCONNECT AND BEFORE THEY MISS SO MUCH SCHOOL, THEY
ARE AT RISK OF GETTING KICKED OUT.
>> LEARNING WHAT IS THE OBSTACLES IS PARAMOUNT, THAT
EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT MIGHT BE THE STRUGGLE.
WE TEND TO BELIEVE THAT, HEY, YOU'RE MISSING SCHOOL FOR
WHATEVER PURPOSE AND LET'S GET YOU BACK.
TEACHERS ARE ALWAYS THERE AND CLASSROOM IS OPEN BUT WHAT HAS
KEPT THEM OUT IS THE DIFFICULTY AND THAT EARLY
IDENTIFICATION OF WHATEVER MIGHT BE THE OBSTACLE, HAVING
A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THAT, WE USE SOCIAL WORKERS IN
OUR INITIATIVE BECAUSE OUR AMBITION IS TO BE ABLE TO
ASSESS, REALLY, DIFFERENT TIERS OF STRUGGLE AND THEN WE
CAN MAKE BONA FIDE REFERRAL OR CONNECTIVITY TO A SERVICE THAT
MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
MIGHT JUST BE AS SIMPLE AS AN ALARM CLOCK TO GET YOU UP IN
THE MORNING, BUT IT COULD BE AS INTENSE AS, I AM STRUGGLING
WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH.
SO, YOU DON'T WANT TO REFER THAT CHILD OFF AND SAY, WELL,
WE'LL GET YOU HELP WHENEVER.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE OUR
YOUTH ARE IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION BOUND.
AND THAT IS, YOU GET A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, BE PREPARED TO
UTILIZE IT TO THE BENEFIT OF YOUR CLIENT.
>> EZRA, WHAT ABOUT YOU?
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE
CURRICULUM.
DO YOU FIND THAT YOUNG MEN ARE GETTING THAT CONNECTION, I SEE
A FUTURE FOR MYSELF AND GOING TO SCHOOL WILL HELP ME ALONG
THE LINE?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION AND I THINK THERE ARE -- I MEAN AN
INTERESTING DYNAMIC WE OFFER IN SOCIAL WORK AND TEACHING IS
A LOT OF THE STAFF ARE WOMEN, RIGHT?
AND I THINK SOMETIMES IT IS HARD FOR BOYS TO FIND
CONNECTION JUST BECAUSE SOCIAL WORK STAFF, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE
IN THE INTERVENTIONS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL ARE OFTEN
WOMEN.
AND, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT IS AN
INTENTIONAL, YOU KNOW, DESIGN, BUT, I THINK, SOMETIMES, YEAH,
MEN DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, RIGHT?
AND, I THINK, MEN SOMETIMES CAN STRUGGLE AND THEIR BRAINS
DEVELOP DIFFERENTLY AND MORE SLOWLY, RIGHT?
BOYS ARE AT A DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE THAN GIRLS
THROUGHOUT SCHOOL AND I THINK THAT, YEAH, I MEAN I THINK IT
CAN COME BACK LATER, YOU KNOW, IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS YOU
CAN SEE THAT.
>> WOULD HAVING MORE MEN IN SCHOOLS IN THE CLASSROOM, YOU
THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
>> IT WOULDN'T BE A BAD THING, RIGHT?
LIKE I THINK IT COULD BE A HELPFUL THING.
AND, CERTAINLY, I THINK, FINDING BOYS, MENTORING
OPPORTUNITIES AND GETTING THEM ESPECIALLY ENGAGED, I THINK
THAT IS WHY YOU SEE SOME PEOPLE TEND TOWARD SPORTS
BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE MALE COACHES AND THERE IS
CAMARADERIE OF BOYS, SO I MEAN, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT
TO MAKE SURE -- YEAH, CERTAINLY MORE MALE TEACHERS
WOULD BE GREAT, BUT OTHERWISE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOYS TO
ENGAGE IN POSITIVE ACTIVITIES WITH ADULTS OUTSIDE OF OR
AROUND THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.
>> RON, DO YOU THINK BRINGING MORE ADULTS INTO THE SCHOOL IN
GENERAL, LIKE HE WAS SAYING, GREETERS AND DIFFERENT MEN,
THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE ADULT INFLUENCE IS LACKING.
THE ABILITY FOR YOUTH TO CONNECT TO EXAMPLES IS NOT
WHAT IS USED TO BE.
THE PEER GROUPS ARE MORE INFLUENTIAL THAN THE ADULT
INFLUENCES.
AND I THINK THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR US.
IT IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT IS A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE GREETERS COMING INTO THE
SCHOOL AND HAVING YOUTH CONNECT WITH THOSE THINGS THAT
ARE PROVISIONAL AND BENEFICIAL, LONG-TERM, LIKE
YOU SAID, TO HAVE GOAL OR MAYBE ASPIRATION.
>> WELL, I FEEL LIKE WE JUST SCRATCHED THE SURFACE.
THAT IS ALL WE CAN GET TO THIS WEEK.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND
WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP ON THESE ISSUES WITH YOU AND
OTHER FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE WORKING WITH YOUNG MEN
AND YOUNG PEOPLE HELPING MAKE SURE THEY ACHIEVE WHAT THEY
WANT TO IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
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