School as a Family

In McKilip et. al.'s "Rules of Engagement: Building a College-Going Culture in an Urban School." I was impressed by the school's sense of an almost familial culture. As one 12th grader said of her advistory board, "You sit down and you have a conversation, like you're having a conversation at the dinner table." (p. 538). This attitude seems not only be a part of the students' existence at the school, but also the teachers'. As another student reports, incoming teachers are greeted into a community and all teachers are given a sense of autonomy within their classrooms while still being given much needed support. (p. 546). This school seems to have an almost magical quality in the way it appears to be almost too perfect. While reading, I was swept away by a feeling of positivity. I thought, why couldn't this system be replicated? Why don't all schools create this environment for their students? However, that illusion was shattered when the authors described another school that had tried to adopt a similar advisory model, but had failed. The authors went on to explain what aspects are required for a successful replication of this program, but I still think it cannot be fully replicated with these shallow descriptions. Moreover, I don't think it should be replicated until a more critical analysis is conducted. As with the Kirp reading, there is an air of adoration in this reading that may be leaving out some of the issues underlying the structure. Despite these concerns, I appreciate this more positive look into a school culture that is successful and there should perhaps be more concerted attempts to recreate it within another school context.