Didn't Get a Year-End Appeal Out? DON'T PANIC!

Happy Holidays

from Deb

I've always wanted to use this photo.  I'm feeling on top of the world as I go into 2015 (or at least on top of the parking garage in downtown Atlanta). 

Did you know the meaning of my company name - alinea?  It's actually a French word for the paragraph symbol, and means "The beginning of a new train of thought."  That's my mission - to get you thinking about things in a new way in order to get new results. 

What to do if you didn't get a year-end appeal out

This is what I mean by thinking about things in a new way.  If you didn't have time to get a year-end appeal out in the mail, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY!  Why?  Because in addition to December being one of the best times to ask for support, January comes in second.  In December, people are in the spirit of giving, fulfilling their charitable goals, and maybe looking for some last-minute tax benefits (although that's the least important reason people state for giving).  In January, people have new goals for giving, feel like there's a fresh new start.  Psychologically speaking, there's a huge difference in people's attitudes about giving from December 31st to January 1st.  

So, if you're feeling bad about not being able to get a year-end appeal out, don't fret.  But be sure to get your New Year's appeal out by mid-January. 

The formula for your New Year's Appeal letter.

The first reason to use my formula is that it is based on research on how to maximize the results of an appeal letter.  The more important reason to use my formula is that it is based on a genuine relationship-based approach to inspiring people to want to help your organization.  

First, say THANK YOU!  Begin your letter by thanking people for their support. 

Second, tell people how their support has helped.  Share your successes and achievements; include images and links to videos that bring these successes to life.

Third, remind people of your mission.  

Fourth, announce your vision and your major priorities for 2015.  Be specific about what you need in order to achieve these priorities.

Fifth, include "ask strings."  An ask string is a sentence that should appear on each page of the letter that is underlined and says something like:  Your gift of $1,000, $500, $250 or any amount given as a single donation or as a monthly donation to Globall Giving helps us deliver gently used sporting equipment to children around the world, including in the U.S. 

Sixth, include a pledge card and small return envelope with return label and instructions for making a gift online (DO NOT INCLUDE POSTAGE).  Make it very easy for someone to make a gift. 

If you would like a sample year-end appeal letter (same formula as New Year appeal - I just made that name up), send me a note by clicking here.  

Good luck, and don't forget to let me know how using my formula or advice helps you achieve new and better results.  

Deb 

P.S.   If you know of a nonprofit, school (or school district) or church that could benefit by my services, please refer them.  My projects range from 12-month community engagement projects that cost $15,000 to hourly coaching at $150 per hour. 

Turn Board Members & Volunteers into SUPER AMBASSADORS

My all-time most popular blog postings are How Engaged Are Your Board Members? (click here)  and How to Create Ambassadors for Your Organization (click here).  Since it has been a couple years since I've written about these topics, I thought I'd bring a fresh perspective to the table and share some real stories.

Success Story - Eastbrook Academy

I started working with this amazing school in January.  Eastbrook Academy, a ministry of Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee, supports families from diverse backgrounds in regards to ethnicity, socio-economics, and geography, they have been ranked #1 in Wisconsin on the High School Challenge Index and 100% of their high school graduates get accepted into college and receive a significant amount of grants and scholarships.  This school has such an amazing story in my mind because families do NOT have to choose between diversity AND academic excellence - THEY GET BOTH!  

Anyway, Eastbrook Academy hired me to take their small resource development program to the next level.  Once I understood how amazing they were, I told them, "You are just shy."  There are probably lots of organizations like Eastbrook Academy that do amazing quality work and envision delivering their mission to folks regardless of financial capacity, but don't know how to secure the resources they need to achieve this vision.

In my mind it really was about teaching the organization - especially the board members - how to embrace their role as ambassador and then to provide the coaching and tools needed for them to have the confidence to share the story and cultivate the relationships that were sure to result in the resources they needed.

So we got right to work implementing my infamous formula of STORY + DIRECTION + RELATIONSHIPS.  The first step was to take the Eastbrook Academy story and articulate it in a professional case statement (click here for the first in a series of blog posts that describe how to develop your professional case statement).  The board members and a core team of other organizational staff members began to get used to sharing the story in a consistent manner.  The elevator pitch helped the core team and board members be more natural by sharing the story from the perspective of their passion (click here to read about the elevator pitch). 

Then I worked with their fabulous fund development director to develop a compelling tour that incorporated my three magic questions, the answers to which would provide amazing opportunities for relationship cultivation.  (click here to email me to get a sample compelling tour). 

Immediate and Significant Results

Well, because this organization was so open to doing things in a new way, results came fast.  We started by inviting current supporters and donors to take a compelling tour.  In the first month, the first four tours resulted in three new donations!  During the past six months, more than 10 additional tours have been conducted, resulting in more donations as well as more connections.  Twenty more tours are scheduled to take place within the next two months.  After hosting a a community session, two couples - already supporters - are making monthly donations.  By simply doing a better job of sharing their story, welcoming people in for a tour and asking three simple questions, Eastbrook Academy is taking their development program to the next level.

Where Board Members and Volunteers Fit In

BEWARE!  It is important that you realize all of this work is NOT being done solely by the fund development director.  The key to a successful development program is seeing the role of the fund development director as DRIVER AND FACILITATOR of the plan.  Ideally, the fund development director is empowering lots of other people to make connections and help cultivate relationships.  

At Eastbrook Academy, board members and other volunteers have really stepped up, but before they could do that they had to know what to do, have tools to make it easy to do and get the training and support to have the confidence to go out and make new connections.  Again, they've experienced immediate and significant results.  Now, board members and the fund development director communicate on a weekly basis regarding which board members and volunteers will accompany visitors on tours or make connections out in the community.  When it came to planning the invitation list for the community session, each board member had to contribute 10 names to the list and assign themselves to making personal invitations.  But, again, they were offered tools and and training on exactly how to do that.  The fund development director tracks all the relationships and supports the board members and volunteers.  IT'S A REAL TEAM! 

Try my approach and see what happens!  

Deb   
  

 

Relationship Fundraising - Anatomy of a Success Story

Before I tell you exactly how to write success stories, I want to let you know about a special I'm having on my books right now.  I've got some inventory I want to get rid of.  Right now, you can buy both of my books for $25 (includes shipping).  Mail your check to alinea and include your shipping information to 703  E. Lexington Blvd., Whitefish Bay, WI 53217. 

Now on to my posting about success stories. 

Success Stories - 

A Critical Part of Your Case Statement

Your organizational story articulates the essence of who you are – or your special sauce (that’s a technical term of mine).  The purpose of sharing your story is to inspire people to want to help.  And the gathering place for your amazing story is what I call a professional case statement, described on no more than one sheet of paper using both sides. 

I dedicated a series of posts a couple years ago to helping you develop a professional case statement for your organization.  Today, I’m going to talk about one of the most important sections of your case statement – success stories.  Success stories bring your mission to life and help you make an emotional connection with someone.   

I may have mentioned that I’m transitioning my business from consulting to coaching and teaching.  I have been having fun documenting the process by which I have developed my clients’ success stories, as well as figuring out how best to pass that knowledge along to my coaching clients. 

I am so excited right now to be working with the UW Milwaukee Women’s Resource Center as they celebrate 20 years of empowering thousands of female students PLUS setting course for the future.  Consistent with their collaborative approach, about 10 student staff members will be assisting with developing the Center’s case statement, specifically developing success stories. 

As I guide the UW Milwaukee Women’s Resource Center, I thought I would pass along the coaching I’m providing them to all of you.

But first, click here to check out this amazing resource for students on our beautiful UW Milwaukee campus.   

The Formula for a Successful Success Story

There actually is a formula for developing a success story in a way that will really bring your organization’s story to life =

What was life like before YOU +

What happened during the experience with YOU +

How is the future different because of YOU

Formula Part #1 – 

What was life like before your organization?

People are inspired by transformation or how the world changes because of your mission, not by the activities you do day to day.  Implementing your mission is hard work and critical, but when you are trying to engage community members in your work, bringing to life the impact of your mission is what will get their attention and hopefully their support. 

Think of a person or a family that experienced great transformation because of their experience with your organization or school.  Begin by describing what their life was like before they came to your organization.  What were they struggling with?  What were their challenges?  Here are a couple examples:

From Eastbrook Academy
www.eastbrookacademy.org 

Rakim had attended another Christian school before coming to 
Eastbrook Academy in 5^th grade, but he says,  “We didn’t have quality 
teachers, classes were big, and you couldn’t get the attention 

you needed from teachers.  I was struggling in math.”

         


       From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program
       www.interfaithmilw.org/nop

“After my stepmother had a stroke, my father became her main caretaker. 

This was a lot for him, and I tried to look for services to help him, but it was too expensive. Because I live in a different state, it is not possible for me to be there all the time.  My father was very active, as a golfer, fisherman, and artist, and exercised every day.   He led a very full life but had to give up so much freedom to care for her 24/7.”

From Next Act Theatre
www.nextact.org

  "Back when my wife Ericka and I had our first baby, we craved time as a couple and with other adults.  
We happened to bid on a set of Next Act Theatre tickets 
and turned it into one of our first post-baby date nights."  

Formula Part #2 – 
What happened during the experience with you?

This is where you talk about exactly what you did that helped someone overcome their challenges and totally change their mindset about what’s possible.  What was it about what you did and how you did it that made a difference in this person’s life?  The above examples are continued here:

From Eastbrook Academy:

At Eastbrook Academy, Rakim shares, “The teachers were much better, 
you could ask them anything, they respected students, and expectations were higher.  
I think I got nicer when I came to EBA.”  His GPA increased every year, 
and as he now goes off to college, he proudly asserts, “I feel prepared." 

From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program

"Interfaith was a godsend. Now, once a week a volunteer comes 
to the house and gives my father a day off.  Their volunteer is wonderful.  
She is really amazing.  She is 84 years old, but my Dad was amazed that 
she had gotten up early to exercise, make them banana bread before she arrived. 
She is very generous, has served in the Peace Corp’s, 
and is just a real sweetheart."

From Next Act Theatre:

"We not only loved the show, but by buying a season subscription 
we automatically put four more date nights on the calendar.  
As busy parents, it was not only easy, it was affordable – today, 
it’s just $100 per person for FOUR fabulous productions – that’s just $25 a show.  
It wasn’t long before our friends, who were also starting families, joined us." 

Formula Part #3 – 
What does the future look like now?

Transformation is about a new way of thinking about things that leads to new and better results.  This transformation occurs in the assumptions we make our ourselves, others and the world.  For example, a child’s assumptions about themselves might include not feeling good enough.  Their assumption about the world could be that they are a victim and don’t have control over their circumstances.  An older adult could hold an assumption about other people that they don’t care.  A real success story is about changing these assumptions.  I continue the above examples:

From Eastbrook Academy:

"I knew I would go but I thought it would be community college.  
Then I started getting accepted to top of the line schools, 
and I got a $22,000 scholarship from St. Norbert’s!”  
Starting his own business is a big goal of Rakim's.

       From Interfaith Older Adults – Neighborhood Outreach Program

"Without huge financial resources to have a constant caregiver, 
Interfaith has given my father enough peace of mind to 
go do the things he likes to do.  
He really feel comfortable with Sally coming once a week.  
Interfaith has really been a godsend.”

From Next Act Theatre

"Over the past 15 years, we became a group of 10.  
We take turns choosing a restaurant and we’re NEVER disappointed!  
Our subscription guarantees an entertaining and thought provoking show, 
PLUS time with friends over dinner." 

These are real success stories written by me for my clients.  When you put the three pieces of the formula together, they are very concise but compelling stories that get right to the heart of the difference these organizations make to people.

In my next posting I plan to tell you exactly how to go about asking and interviewing people who have amazing stories to share that bring your mission to life. 

Also, feel free to check out any of the organizations above.  All three are amazing organizations that are in the business of inspiring true transformation.

As always, let me know how you use my coaching to make a difference in your own organization.

Deb 

Relationship Fundraising - Engaging Board Members

If Your Board Members Aren't Engaged, It's Not About Commitment - It's About Building Confidence and Providing Tools 

My blog postings about engaging board members are among my most popular.  When I explain to board members that they should NOT breathe a sigh of relief because they hired a fund development manager or director they look at me a little confused.  But that's what usually happens.  Fundraising is such a YUCKY feeling thing, that when an organization gets big enough to hire someone to be in charge of fundraising, everyone in the organization tends to believe that it's that person's job to raise all the money.  THAT IS SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH!

Sorry to disappoint you, but the job of the fund development director or manager is to empower as many people as possible to become active ambassadors for the organization and to become alert to all the opportunities that exist to make an emotional connection with people.  It's the job of the fund development director to then strategize how best to cultivate those relationships.

But it's not easy as a staff person to push back against this expectation by the board members, and so pretty quickly the staff person loses his/her credibility as the driver of the fund development plan.  Instead, the staff person becomes the "doer."  The board members may feel a sense of relief because they hired someone to "fundraise," and the fund development manager or director may be able to increase results significantly for a couple years, but then the organization will hit a brick wall and become disenchanted with the staff person.

Build Credibility With the Board With Quick Results - Invite Current Donors to Come on a Compelling Tour

When the board has hired you to raise all the money, it's hard to come in and tell them that you know the truth, and the truth is that the board members and volunteers are the most powerful ambassadors for the organization.  Your first step is to build credibility by proving that you know what you're talking about, and you do this by getting results.

One of the fastest ways to get better results is to begin inviting current donors and supporters to come on a Compelling Tour.  To see a sample compelling tour document, click here to visit my website and sign up for my email list to have access to this important tool.  The purpose of the compelling tour is to share your story in a way that makes an emotional connection with someone.  The tour is NOT about geography; it's more about helping people feel the magic that happens in your school or nonprofit.  The tour is also NOT about promoting as much as it is about finding out about the other person.

When you ask questions of the visitor like, "What was your middle school experience like," you will get a juicy story.  Your visitor may feel lucky to have had very loving teachers, and they would like for other children to have the same.  On the other hand, your visitor may have felt alone and unwelcome in their own school, and now they want to make sure other children DON'T have the experience they did.  Can you see how knowing this about your visitor would be very helpful in determining what part of your story to focus on?  When you share the part of your story that really resonates emotionally with your visitor, now you are genuinely cultivating a relationship.

The compelling tour is divided into two sections:  (1) The tour; and (2) The conversation.  After the walking part of the tour, you will lead your guests into a private room where you will present a packet with your case statement, and if you haven't already, review the orgnaization's top priorities.  Then you will ask alinea's 3 magic questions.  The answers to these questions will provide many opportunities to deepen the relationship.

• What do you think?  This simple question is so important.  First, asking people what they think makes them feel important.  Second, the answer to this question provides so much valuable insight on how effective you're sharing the story.  Third, your visitor may have great ideas or expertise to contribute.  

• How do you see yourself getting involved?  Often my clients are shy about asking this, but remember, this question does not ask anyone for anything.  You haven't mentioned money, volunteering or anything.  You are simply asking how they might see themselves getting involved.  The answer could be not at all, which is absolutely fine.  With this approach, there is no such thing as rejection.  No matter what, you have made someone feel important by taking the time to provide a meaningful experience and your visitor may talk about their experience to someone else.  

• Who else needs to know about what we're doing?  If you're a school, almost everyone is interested in good schools and likely your visitor knows at least one other person who might be very interested in your organization.  You might get referrals to other potential donors, families who are looking for a new school or others looking for volunteer opportunities, or even a potential vendor needed for a project.  

What kinds of results are you likely to experience with this strategy?  Well, for one of my clients, just sending an email to a current donor inviting him for a tour and including a letter updating him on success stories and priorities resulted in the doubling of an annual gift to $10,000.  Another tour with an already involved husband and wife resulted in a brand new $3,000 gift.  These were among the first three people to be invited for a tour.  

I love introducing this to my clients.  Often, they already have so many generous supporters and donors who have never received special treatment like coming on a compelling tour.  Typically, they also haven't been given the big picture and major priorities of the organization.  Usually, they feel very special even being invited to a formal tour, and then when they are asked what they think and for their ideas and referrals, they feel important and needed.  Even if their tour does not result in a new donation or referral, the value of deepening your relationship with them will come back to benefit the organization - I promise.  

Back to the Board Members 

As you begin scheduling Compelling Tours, it is important to invite/request that a board member accompany the visitor on the tour.  Volunteer ambassadors like board members always send a stronger message than paid staff people.  This is a kind of low-risk involvement for board members.  They don't need to say anything during the tour; they can just observe and add credibility by being there as a volunteer.  During the conversation part of the Compelling Tour, they will see the magic that happens.  

As you conduct Compelling Tours, and you begin to get results like donations, referrals and other kinds of contributions, these are the results that you can share with the board members to show them how this works.  And this is just the beginning.  

With some tours and results under your belt, now I recommend creating a kind of weekly management report to share with the board members.  The report should include your organization's fund development goals, strategies and then a report on your activities, like tours, meetings, other communications, and results.  Another important heading in the management report is WHAT I NEED FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS.  Here is where you will let them know when you need someone to come on a tour or some other kind of contribution (more in another posting).  

Try It and See What Happens 

If you focus on Compelling Tours, invite board members to join you and observe, and then get some measurable results, you'll build the credibility you need to increase the engagement of your board members.  I love it when people share their results after putting an alinea strategy to work.  Feel free to share.  

Deb 

Applying alinea's approach - Success Story

Do you know . . . 

A nonprofit or school that is looking for HELP getting better results (money, enrollment, community partners, 

more awareness)?  

Options for partnering with alinea include: 

Coaching and training on strategic relationship cultivation or developing materials like case statements, compelling tour documents, elevator pitches, plan documents, proposal templates, event stratgies, and more . . . 

My gift to you:

If your referral becomes a project worth at least $2,500, you get one hour of free coaching (valued at $160) or a 

$75 Amazon gift card

Now, on to my regular blog post. 

Applying the alinea Formula - Real Success Stories

My coaching call with one of my favorite clients - South Shore Schools way up in northern Wisconsin - was so exciting, because the many successes the board chair of the South Shore Education Foundation shared all perfectly reflect the alinea philosophy and approach.

I thought sharing these specific examples of how to apply the alinea formula would help you do the same in your organization, school or church.

alinea-ism #1 - It's NOT About Asking for Money . . . or Asking for Anything 

if you've heard me say it once, you've heard me say in a million times, but I can't emphasize enough that the secret to resource development has nothing to do with "asking" people for money.  That's where the alinea formula comes in - Story + Direction + Relationships.  The reason you don't have to "ask" with my approach is because you understand the three pices of my formula.

• Story is about inspiring people with your vision for what the world looks like because of your organization (school, nonprofit, church, small business, you as a professional).  Your tool for articlating your story is the professional case statement. 

• Direction is about being very clear about what you need to accomplish in order to get closer to achieving your vision - these are your most important top three (no more) priorities.  After you've inspired someone, they CANNOT determine where they fit in if you do not explain what you need to get done in order to achieve your vision. 

• Relationships is about being genuinely interested in people without having an agenda - harder than you think.  This piece is about connecting with someone on an emotional level and then sharing your vision and priorities and then asking alinea's three magic questions:  #1 What do you think?  Listen.  #2 Where do you see yourself fitting in?  Listen.  #3 Who else needs to know about what we're doing.  Listen.  

There's no asking because if you've inspired someone and you're super clear about your priorities and what you need to achieve them, people can figure out for themselves how they fit in.  You don't have to corner them. 

Today, in my phone call with South Shore Schools Education Foundation, I learned that something magical just happened because of this approach.  South Shore Schools has a Wall of Fame, where people nominate an alumnus who they feel has achieved something significant and who they believe has made their community proud.  This particular alum wasn't even on the mailing list for the foundation, but somehow ended up receiving something from the foundation that really inspired him.  But nothing really came of it.  Until . . . this person was formally recognized and inducted onto the Wall of Fame.  The Foundation Chair had a casual conversation with this successful alumnus, after which the alumnus shared that he planned to make a significant contribution.  

There was no asking.  There was sharing of good news, vision and priorities.  Then there was this magical alignment of vision on the part of the foundation and alignment with someone who was proud to be an alumnus and saw an opportunity to give back.  

alinea-ism #2 - When vision aligns with intention to give back, a gift is received by BOTH the donor and the organization 

Contrary to what many people think, the primary motivation for charitable donations is the desire to have a positive impact, not financial considerations like tax benefits.  There are so many successful people who have a real understanding that they didn't get where they got alone.  They feel blessed and they want to give back.  These folks though aren't going to the yellow pages to find worthwhile causes.  They are responding to organizations that express interest in them.

So, back to South Shore Education Foundation.  The South Shore Schools community is blessed to have a wonderful local philanthropist who has been generous since the start of the foundation.  This philanthropist has been specifically interested in equipping students with the technology in order to connect them to anyone anywhere.  This person has been instrumental in helping the South Shore Education Foundation achieve it's most importaint priority of putting in the hands of EVERY SINGLE STUDENT K-12th grade a tablet or laptop that when they graduate they take with them.  This year, the foundation achieved this priority and this fall will be presenting kindergarten students with their own tablets.

The Foundation has been so focused on cultivating a genuine relationship with this philanthropist, and they were so clear on their next priority, which is to maintain this 1 to 1 technology intiative, that he and his wife were moved to made a significant contribution that will result in keeping the initiative going into the forseeable future.

But here's the magic.  Recently, the education foundation chair had lunch with this generous philanthropist and he tried to treat - the donor expressed gratitude to the chair on the part of he and his wife for the OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR ALMA MATER.  The donor said THANK YOU!

All along, the South Shore Education Foundation NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING.  They inspired, shared success stories, were clear about their vision and priority to touch the life of every single student.  And then a major donor said "thank you for the opportunity to give back."  This is a magical moment.

In both of these examples there was NO ASKING involved, but significant gifts made.  But it didn't happen by accident.  These gifts happened because of inspiration, clarity of vision and priorites, and genuine relationship cultivation.

Try it out and see what happens!  See my other blog postings for how to develop your case statement, provide a compelling tour, be clear about your priorities and have a genuine curiosity about people.  Or buy my books - both of my books walk you through exactly how to do this.



Click here to purchase The Secret to Fundraising.











Click here to purchase The Secret to Better Schools. 










As always, I love to hear how people apply what they learn in my blog and how it leads to a new and better results.  Share here or send me an email at info@alineaconnect.com.

Deb

This is Personal - an Update

Personal Passion Fuels My Work With Schools 

Recently, I went back and looked at my very first blog posting - FIVE years ago.  My company had been working with schools long enough to create a formula for helping them engage community members for the purpose of securing resources (students, money, partnerships, volunteers) needed to achieve their goals.  I had served as a founding board member of a brand new charter school not only getting it off the ground but helping to raise more than a quarter of a million dollars halfway through our first school year.  At the same time, my son, who was in third grade at the time, had already paid a heavy price for being "different" and "difficult."

I've learned so much since that first blog posting, and I could not have anticipated how both my personal and professional lives would intersect and lead me to pursue the path I'm about to jump onto.  I'll tell you more about that in a little bit.

What I've Learned About Schools and Education 

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work with more than twenty schools and school districts all over Wisconsin in the past few years.  I've worked with private religious schools participating in the parental choice program, charter schools that were completely independent of a school district and charter schools that were instrumentalities of a school district, and entire school districts who were creatively using charter dollars to create programs that would benefit all students in the district.

Through my work over the years with these schools, I've become inspired and dismayed by:

• How real innovation and commitment to serve ALL students is happening, especially in small communities that are faced with real resource shortages and high rates of poverty.  The Montello School District (click here to visit their website) puts education in the context of overall health of the entire community.  Not only that, by simply being willing to reach out to people who home school their children and ask them how Montello Schools could be a resource, they created a program to fill in the gaps for more than 20 home school families.  It wasn't about getting dollars back; it was about genuinely figuring out how to be a resource to these families.  

• The fact that all the research already exists to tell us how children learn best, and that there also already exists models that align with this research.  We know that children learn best when they are engaged and learning is relevant to them.  We also know that children learn best through movement and hands-on opportunities.  Once you see Sir Ken Robinson's 12 minute RSA video on YouTube (he's a global thought leader on creativity), it will become so clear that most schools are still teaching according to a manufacturing model that pumps out graduates that follow the rules.  Click here to see the video.  It will blow your mind.  The bells, the rows of seats, the teacher seen as dumper of knowledge, the intolerance for being different, the response to children's rebelliousness (suspensions and detentions - that research proves doesn't work and actually harms children), are I believe a reflection of the fear by school leaders of letting go of control and being open to seeing their roles differently.   

• It doesn't seem right that schools in wealthy high performing districts take the credit for student performance when they have zero poverty, two-parent college-educated households, disproportionately high incomes and parents who are willing to spend whatever it takes on tutoring and supplemental education programs.  Would these school leaders and teachers be able to get the same performance in a low-income inner city?  I'm guessing not.  I'm so glad that this traditional model works for a majority of students, but I feel the real test of a school is how they deal with the children who are more difficult to teach or who don't fit in.  Unfortunately, my son has been that test, and his schools have failed the test.  

• I've learned that rigor without love and genuine belief in what children can achieve makes the difference.  Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee is a religious school that has just been ranked #1 in Wisconsin in the High School Challenge Index and #10 in the nation.  Half of their senior class of 16 students this year got accepted into pre-med programs, and each year their high school graduating class of about 16 is awarded $1 million in grants and scholarhsips.  Quick!  Close your eyes and try to picture what the student body of Eastbrook Academy looks like.  I guarantee you're wrong.  One-third of students are low income, 58% are private pay, two-thirds are African American, 25% are white and 10% are Hispanic.    

What's Next for alinea 

So over the years, I've become knowledgeable about how schools are funded, what resources are available to them, research on how children learn best, what the 21st Century economy wants, the education models that already exist that truly engage students, and that many schools are NOT adapting and hurting some students in the process.  With all this knowledge, passion and personal experience, I have not been able to help my own son's schools understand how figuring out how to meet his needs is an opportunity to better serve ALL students in our community.  The teachers may not know exactly how to do this, but genuine desire and openness goes a long way.  

Well, those of you who know me know I'm inspired by having a positive impact on the world by helping people look at things differently and achieve more than they think possible.  I know my son is not alone.  Right now, I'm in the process of hopefully being accepted to Pacifica Gradaute Institute to secure a M.A./PhD in Depth Psychology.  I'm curious about what holds school leaders back from jumping on the chance to be more innovative and effective.  They say that people don't change until the pain of not changing is worse than the pain of changing.  In the case of my son's schools, there is enough demand for the school, and enough students who do well in that model, that there's not much motivation for figuring out a more effective way to work with children who don't fit in (except by putting them in special ed).  The only motivation would be love and genuine caring for children as individual human beings.  

“. . . we need to stop trying to address poor behaviors in the classroom, 

and instead address the root cause of the disruptive behaviors. 

Many active learners may be acting out of boredom or from being lost. 

Recognizing the gift of the active learner and meeting them with actively 

challenging lessons will surely go a long way in creating the optimal learning environment” 

(Clapper, T. C. (2009). 

Moving away from teaching and becoming a facilitator of learning. 

PAILAL, 2(2).

As part of my application process, I had to do a research paper.  I researched how children have been changing, how schools and others have been responding (suspensions, detentions, over diagnosing ADHD), the negative impact of these responses, and the research available on how children learn best and the models that are already available to implement.  I propose that it's fear that holds these schools back - fear of changing the assumptions we make about children and fear of letting go of control and changing the role of the teacher.  I would like to figure out how to help schools embrace the change that will help children feel accepted and blossom no matter who they are.  Can we create an educational environment that celebrates this kind of diversity?  If you're interested in reading my paper, just send me an email at deborah@alineaconnect.com and I'd be happy to hear what you think.  

As always, I love hearing success stories and other feedback.  

Deb