I believe that the missing element in schools today is Relationships.

Two years ago, Bill Gates gave a historic speech that changed the landscape of education by two-thirds.

The first point Bill made was we need more rigor ? the courses need to be tougher. We are falling behind our competition and it is a global market. The second point was about creating more relevance: the course material needs to connect to the lives of students.

The third point that Bill mentioned was relationships. This is where we have the most to gain with the help of employers. Most kids spend most of their day time with teachers. They see their parents in the evening and perhaps an athletic coach (who usually does a lot of shouting and ordering around) in the afternoon.

Where are the adult role models? Most schools bring in a fireman or a policeman during elementary school and that's it. An innovative high school in Rhode Island sends the students on internships where they find mentors. Every nine weeks, the students report to the school in stand up exhibitions with power point presentations about what they learned. The presentations are part of everyone's education. This means than in a school of 120 students, there are 120 mentors, at least, talking with students each week.

That's the sort of relationship that adults, parents and businesses can have at schools. Charter schools have a special advantage: they are small. The principal and the teachers can get to know ALL of the students in the school if there are fewer than about 300 students. Most charters fit this model.

In particular, at my school, Downtown Academy, the principal encourages adults to come to the school and get involved, sitting in small groups with students and finding out, ?WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? What are your interests? How can we tie what you love to what you need to learn?? The adult involvement in our school expands our curriculum and makes the jobs of our teachers more interesting and adds to the list of role models for our students.

Melinda Gates recently toured the country with a stump speech about the need to put education as the number one domestic issue, ahead of health care and the economic recovery. In her interview on National Public Radio, she focused on the millions of teenagers who will drop out of high school this year. Her point is well-taken and can be addressed in part by making school more relevant and in part by providing kids more role models and mentors in the school day.

I'm writing here today to reemphasize the need for schools to focus on RELATIONSHIPS and connections to adults. If we care about education, we can act on that sentiment by becoming mentors. Imagine that I'm passing out a form and I will collect it in a few minutes. You can choose to become a mentor or at least check the little box that reads, ?Tell me more? I'm not yet ready to commit.? That's an action too. The only failure here is not giving me back that piece of paper.

I'll end by asking you for computers for schools. We need old computers that students can tear apart and learn from and we need to cannibalize parts and we need donations of new and nearly new computers. Cash is good, too. Thank you.

Steve McCrea is an educator and a producer of educational DVDs. He can be reached at TheEbookMan.com (Telephone (954) 646 8246). He works with Roadlovers.com and FreeEnglishLessons.com as a content provider.

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Here is the form that we use:

You are invited to become a mentor.

The steps are 1.2.3.

Call David Jett the principal to arrange a time to visit 954 767 0403

2. Come to a class and speak about the things that motivate you and the problems you overcame to get where you are. You are an inspiration to someone in that room.

3. Please return to see what your impact has been.

We would like to videotape you so we can review what you say and learn better your message. We hope you enjoy your mentoring experience.

Contact David Jett

101 SE Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

djett@downtownacademy.org 954 767 0403

Located on the Third Floor of the Pink United Methodist Church, two blocks east of the Main Library

We use this form even in other languages. For help in translation, visit www.FreeEnglishLessons.com