by Lowell Grisham

printed in the Northwest Arkansas Times, Fayetteville, AR

September 19, 2009

 

In my previous column, I talked about how Jesus was a healer.  Those of us who look to him as our example are called to make the healing and health of our neighbors among our highest priorities.  That is why so many individual Christians and church denominations have embraced the quest for an improved American health care system that will serve everyone, providing access to basic health care for all.

The other characteristic activity of Jesus was teaching.  Most of Jesus’ days were spent teaching and healing.  He created an enthusiastic and energized community largely through teaching and healing.

Strong communities need good teaching and good medical care.  Healthy cities support their education and health systems as foundations for their thriving.

Our community is being invited to make an investment in our young people and in their education.  It is a good effort and worthy of our support.

One of the things I like about the proposed plan for Fayetteville High School is the imaginative way it is designed to create small communities within the larger school.  “Form follows function” nicely in the proposed design which will nurture smaller groupings of students within an intimate learning environment where they can be better known and individually valued. 

As our community talked about our options during the open process of conversation early this year, I was impressed with the evidence that young people learn better in small and moderate sized schools than they do in large schools.  One of the possible responses to that data was a two-school solution.  Another response is the proposed plan which is something like five high schools within a single system.  Its outstanding feature is five small learning communities where students can have a true sense of belonging and security.  Instead of one large school of 2,500 or two separate campuses of 1,200 each, we would have five small schools of 500 students within one campus.

Many churches use similar organizational strategies.  Large churches use cell groups, Sunday School classes and other small groups to create intimacy and connection in community when a church is too big for everyone to know everyone else.  They enjoy the benefits of size – large choirs, expansive programs, multiple offerings – while not sacrificing the sense of connection and belonging so crucial to healthy community.

The proposed Fayetteville High School Small Learning Communities and the curriculum designed around it is at the heart of our new design.  It has created some national buzz.  The National School Boards Association has picked Fayetteville High School as one of three featured locations for their annual national tour.  Education leaders from around the nation will visit us in March to learn about our new curriculum system which is becoming a national model and benchmark for best practices.

I was talking to one of our congregation’s leaders the other day.  She told me that when their family moved to Northwest Arkansas over a decade ago, they did their research to decide which town to live in.  They wanted to live in the community with the best schools, she said.  That’s how they chose Fayetteville.  “If we were making that decision today,” she said, “it would be Bentonville.”

Today, test scores between Bentonville and Fayetteville are comparable, but their high school is new.  Ours is a half-century old.  Bentonville has a competitive advantage in attracting new families who are relocating to our region.

A new building incorporating Small Learning Communities, attractive indoor and outdoor locations for learning, and a 1,200 seat performing arts center will restore Fayetteville to our customary place of leadership and excellence.  We are a community that treasures and supports education. 

We have had an open and good process for creating a plan to improve our high school.  It is a good plan.  It deserves our support.  More than that, our teachers and our young people deserve our support.  A strong and healthy educational system is a foundation for a strong and healthy community.  Jesus knew that teaching and healing are foundations to vital community.  Tomorrow Fayetteville has an opportunity to invest in our future.