Be a student of your students:' far Southwest Virginia educators meet in joint convocation

WISE — Teachers from six school divisions in far Southwest Virginia passed tissues and wiped tears Monday morning as an original “freedom writer” detailed his rise from urban poverty.

The educators were gathered under one roof — the David J. Prior Convocation Center at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise — for what was likely the first-ever joint convocation of the school divisions in Dickenson, Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the cities of Bristol and Norton.

Superintendents from each division collaborated for months to organize the school year kickoff, pooling resources and personnel in the financially burdened region.

“I think it’s just an example of those in the far southwest being able to come together and work together to provide the best opportunities for our students, our faculty and staff that we can,” Wise County schools chief Greg Mullins told the audience of more than 1,000.

Educators listened quietly for about 90 minutes to keynote speaker Manny Scott, who overcame a childhood scathed by poverty and violence with help from educators and support staff in a Long Beach, California, high school. His story is told, in part, through the “Marcus” character in the 2007 film “Freedom Writers.” Scott also tells his own story through speaking engagements to educators across the nation.

Similarities can be drawn from Scott’s experiences in an urban school division to those of students in and near the coalfields. Coal’s decline has contributed to poverty rates above 25 percent in Dickenson and Lee counties, near 23 percent in Wise County, Bristol and Norton, and close to 20 percent in Scott County, based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. The depressed state of the coal industry also affects the finances of schools, which rely heavily on local funding in addition to state and federal funds to pay employees and maintain school buildings.

Scott said his financial hardship as a child left him with few clothes, near-constant hunger and little help from adults in his life who were struggling with drug addiction. Sifting through garbage for meals and eyeing the leftovers on his classmates’ plates were normal for Scott, he said.

He carried his trauma with him into the classroom with no outlet to express his pain. Until later in high school, he said his teachers failed to adjust their message in ways to which he could relate.

After his best friend was killed, Scott said he rededicated himself to his education. He soon found himself in the classroom of English teacher Erin Gruwell, the teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach portrayed by actor Hilary Swank in “Freedom Writers.”

Gruwell excelled in educating underperforming students through empathy, and relating to their interests without coddling. She drew comparisons between the writing styles of Shakespeare to ’90s rap artists Tupac Shakur, Nas, Snoop Dogg and The Notorious B.I.G. as part of her method.

Scott’s charge to the Southwest Virginia educators was to find ways to heal students to pave a path toward learning, whether it be through music or other student interests.

“Healing is the foundation upon which grit is built,” Scott said. “I started to heal from the abuse and homelessness through a pen and journal. Soon I was sleeping in a car, writing about my hopes and dreams and the people I wanted to help.”

Teachers should not lower their standards, Scott said. Instead, they should “raise the floor,” and meet students where they are.

Otherwise, “you will unknowingly create distance between yourself and the student you are trying to reach,” Scott said. “You can alter the trajectory of these kids’ lives. You can be the exception.”

Scott is now a father of three, a homeschool teacher, an aviator and a doctoral student, in addition to motivational speaker. His message was heavy in anecdotes of trauma, and healing through education.

Valerie Babb, principal of Yuma Elementary in the Scott County Public Schools, thanked Scott after his speech. She said she sees students who carry their struggles into the classroom.

“Sometimes, having the basic things in life, we take that for granted,” Babb said. “He said, ‘Be a student to your student, get to know them.’ Sometimes, we just need to be humbled from time to time.”

Norton School Superintendent Gina Wohlford said Scott’s message was important and relatable for the region, and should energize teachers as classes resume this month.

“A lot of us [in the region] have the same needs,” said Lee County Superintendent Brian Austin. “I think it’s incredible to be able to serve our staffs this way.”

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