Keeping the dream alive - volunteerism

Chief Executive, The, June, 1997 by Sanford I. Weill

FRUSTRATED BY THE WORK FORCE AMERICAN SCHOOLS ARE TURNING OUT? WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN COMPETITION? WONDERING HOW THE AMERICAN DREAM CAN SURVIVE IN AN EDUCATIONAL ATMOSPHERE BUILT ON CYNICISM AND DESPAIR? HERE'S ONE ANSWER THAT'S PAID GREAT DIVIDENDS FOR BOTH ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTICIPANTS.

Recent White House initiatives have called upon the private sector to participate more proactively in volunteerism, particularly in helping our nation's youngest citizens. But to date, those well-intentioned goals and highly publicized summit meetings have left corporate leaders with few specific or practical ways to participate, either personally or through their companies.

There already exist, however, a number of proven approaches and successful volunteer programs that address the President's challenge. For example, by taking a leadership role in local school-to-career transition programs, chief executives can help the country in two important respects: first, by securing its long-term economic future through development of a competitive work force, and second, by keeping the American Dream alive in its high school students.

An underlying problem in too many of our schools involves the weak connection between what happens in the classroom and what's required for success in the outside world. As demand accelerates for specialized knowledge in the workplace, it becomes increasingly difficult for high school graduates without marketable skills to get a foot in the door with prospective employers. In addition, the proliferation of drugs and alcohol in society, combined with the disintegration of the traditional family structure, have made it tough for parents or teachers to motivate students.

With few positive role models and limited job prospects, it is not surprising that many students simply give up by dropping out of school. With no context for learning, and little hope for their future, the long-term value of education loses out to short-term gratification - which might mean joining a street gang or becoming a teenage mother.

Apart from the immediate impact on the lives of individual students, their families, and the communities in which they live, this inherent weakness in our schools hinders the ability of American companies to build qualified, efficient work forces and to produce high quality goods and services. In turn, this erodes our nation's ability to compete on a global basis.

Back in the '70s, faced with a growing number of students either unprepared or unwilling to meet traditional academic expectations, educators began to rethink secondary school education in an attempt to make schools more relevant. Curricula were revised, and work/study programs were created to demonstrate the "real world" value of academic studies. Though those efforts had some impact, the nation's drop-out rate has remained at levels that are clearly unacceptable for a nation seeking to maintain worldwide economic leadership.

Out of that reform movement, however, a unique approach was developed that continues to hold great promise for many of America's disenfranchised students. This educational model refocuses the notion of traditional vocational schools by integrating "basic studies" with industry-specific knowledge and career-oriented training. The key element of this initiative - which is school-based - involves working partnerships between public schools and the private sector.

In 1980, consistent with the direction education had taken in the '70s, and fueled by the increasingly urgent need for a qualified work force within the rapidly expanding financial services industry, the New York City Board of Education and Shearson Loeb Rhoades, in cooperation with the American Federation of Teachers, began to discuss development of a prototype program - called the Academy of Finance (AOF) - to prepare high school students for careers in financial services.

The program's rapid growth over the past 15 years serves as the most visible measure of its success. The first Academy of Finance program began with 35 students in 1982 at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn. Currently, there are more than 7,000 students enrolled in AOF programs in 114 high schools, representing 64 separate school systems across 26 states. In 1996 alone, more than 1,500 business partners participated in AOF programs nationwide, including the likes of BankAmerica, Coopers & Lybrand, Merrill Lynch, and NationsBank.

As part of their regular high school studies, AOF students take up to three specialized courses each semester that have been developed by leading educators and recognized financial services industry experts. (The Fannie Mae Foundation, for example, funded a multi-year grant to develop materials and programs with an emphasis on mortgage financing.) A computerized management system allows participating AOF high schools to access their curriculum via computer, providing up-to-date information, and enabling teachers to customize lessons and activities. Teachers, as well as local AOF program directors and school administrators all participate in ongoing training programs, including an annual four-day conference consisting of workshops and seminars, in order to ensure appropriate and consistent application of the Academy curriculum.