Leading to Succeed 2

Grant County Schools Superintendent speaks to Public Information Officer, Danielle Haley about being the District Contact for Family Resource and Youth Service Center (FRYSC) coordinators within Grant County Schools. Listen to a conversation regarding the roles of FRYSC, who do FRYSC assist, and how does this state funded organization impact students and families within Grant County Schools.

Transcript

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00:00:14:13 - 00:00:34:23
Unknown
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second episode. The leading to succeed. A look inside Grant County schools. The podcast. I'm excited today to have our guest with us today. It's, Daniel, I like that, you know, you, supervisor or director for for the family Resource Center. And your service center director, is that correct?

00:00:34:23 - 00:00:57:29
Unknown
Correct. Yeah. Would you mind sharing with our, guest or with our audience a little bit about your professional journey and how you came into that role? Sure. Beginning in 2010, I was a substitute teacher for Kern County schools and, an instructional assistant with the substitute for things. And then I transitioned into the FRC while my plan elementary, was at Creighton and for seven years.

00:00:58:01 - 00:01:16:15
Unknown
And then the position at the middle school became available as a youth service center coordinator. So I went to the middle school, and I was there for a year and a half before I came over here. So we served as a Family Resource Center director, equipment, and then a youth service coordinate center coordinator at, the middle school.

00:01:16:18 - 00:01:37:17
Unknown
Can you talk to us a little bit about what's the difference between the two and why they have different names? Absolutely. So if you have a resource center coordinator, the components that are required for, elementary school is different than, well, in high school. So really the focus elementary level is transitions. So that kindergarten, that fifth grade year super important.

00:01:37:19 - 00:02:09:13
Unknown
Even like birth to five is super important. That's one of the components for elementary level, literacy, family engagement, all those things couple in to elementary school for middle and high. It's more centered on the students. So it's like crisis, you know, health counseling, even some, like college and career readiness is huge for mental in high that those the transition here from middle to high and then from high to college or to your just post-secondary, whatever you're going to do right, your job or whatever it looks like.

00:02:09:15 - 00:02:35:18
Unknown
So that's the focus is getting students ready at the middle and high for the next steps in life choice and elementary. It's more nurturing for that family unit as a whole. How did FRC is and meiosis come into existence? What some of the history of that. So in 1990, Kara, the Kentucky Education Reform Act, created frisky, which is FRSC, to be a bridge for families.

00:02:35:18 - 00:03:00:28
Unknown
And so really the intention was to create someone for school communities who could bridge the barriers that families are experiencing with education. So I Kara first is actually the only thing that surnames so they're really proud of that. It's it's dating true. It's what's something that other states model after us. We are the only state in the country that has frisk.

00:03:01:00 - 00:03:27:17
Unknown
Other states have people who do kind of the same things are called different things. So what we have been research many times for the data that we collect, the way that we, do programs and the way that we're structured. I was a state entity, because that's unique as well. So, roughly, do you have any idea about how many centers exist across the state, and is there any qualification you have to meet in order to have a center?

00:03:27:20 - 00:03:53:08
Unknown
For sure. There are 830 centers across the state. You have to, have a certain you don't have to have a certain free reduced lunch number. But if you have the free reduced lunch number that's decently high or, within like a need, and then scan these surveys. So those are super important. If a new school is built, you don't automatically get a first.

00:03:53:10 - 00:04:13:18
Unknown
Because it's a state funded position. You have to actually apply. Once you have your students in your building, you see what your, demographics are look like. And then the state will say, we can find you or we can't find you, because really in the state homelessness fund. So I'm hearing you correctly. Then each center is operates off a state grant.

00:04:13:18 - 00:04:36:12
Unknown
That's not something that comes out of the general fund of the local school board. So it's actually state funded money. Exactly, yes. Okay. And that money fluctuates yearly. So it depends on how many students we have enrolled and how high our reduced rate is each year. So even though we might get a grant that's a two year grant cycle and have a certain amount of money in a first rate cycle, the state can say you had a drop in enrollment.

00:04:36:14 - 00:04:58:24
Unknown
Your fingertips never changed. So you had $8,000 the first year. The second year you might have 60. And so you have written a program plan and going to implement. That's a two year program plan. But now you already have $20,000. Let's or maybe you could increase now you have more money. Just depends on school. Use your school dynamics and how much your attendance is important.

00:04:58:27 - 00:05:24:29
Unknown
So I remember as, as a principal, my attendance clerk, always really keeping a keen eye on getting that thing reduced. Lunch, paperwork turned in, I would imagine. Is that why we are so intentional and making sure that that registration and there is a touchpoint to ensure that we capture the real data of where we are as a district, because it does impact the funding for our center.

00:05:24:29 - 00:05:46:04
Unknown
It directly impacts 100%. Sure, a couple years ago, we wasn't really, you know, trying to get those funds back and we took a hit on our funding. So the next few were like, you really have to make sure we get those forms, that it's super important that all of our families fill those out better now. So I want to focus up a little bit for a minute about the FRC side of things.

00:05:46:04 - 00:06:14:27
Unknown
You talked about the support for families, and I was really intrigued by what you said, regarding birth to five, that's before in many instances, we didn't have much contact and talk to me about how those directors are intentional about reaching those families and what supports they might provide. It's really hard, with that, having a birthing hospital in our community, an OB that we can go to and say how many birthing babies you have right now.

00:06:15:00 - 00:06:36:06
Unknown
So finding those in five families is hard. We collaborate a lot with the public library because they do reading groups. You know, they do for a toddler time and their little tot time where we can go there and say, hey, you're going to K family. What's what's going on for you? Also, we have the Council for a Brighter Future, which is a great collaboration across great county and other county.

00:06:36:06 - 00:07:02:20
Unknown
And it's also a state funded grant. But the focus is to collaborate with the schools and daycares within our community to ensure that they are providing families with the supports that they need and get the extra funding that they would need to help families, which is ready for kindergarten kiddos, right? But we also have a larger Imagination Library, and that's a great way for us to say there are a thousand kids right now signed up for another part of Lincoln County.

00:07:02:20 - 00:07:19:16
Unknown
Wow. So I mean, that's a great number to know that there's a thousand, both the five year olds here now where they're living, you know, I mean, how do we connect? Well, we don't know because we're not allowed to use the list at the park in case a student to contact them. But, we know that those exist.

00:07:19:16 - 00:07:41:13
Unknown
So we try to have events once or twice a year, mostly at the county park or the library or community places. And so the tables and we try to work through our, daycares to connect families to a lot of families who, stay home with their children. So finding those families is difficult and sometimes hard.

00:07:41:15 - 00:08:02:27
Unknown
You mentioned the Dolly Parton library. What is not exactly a lot of our families need to know about that. Yeah. So the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a monthly book that children receive every month. But once they're signed up, you can sign up once you're born. So you were born in January. It takes about three months for you to start receiving a book.

00:08:03:00 - 00:08:26:14
Unknown
So they people in January to start receiving a book, typically in March and then from March until their fifth birthday, they receive a book every single month. And so, I mean, you're creating a library if you have multiple children, that's okay, because the books change their grade, their age and civic. So if you have a three year old and a two year old in your home, the three, you're going to be receiving different books and it changes every time.

00:08:26:16 - 00:08:46:20
Unknown
So personally, I have three children and each of them receive the books and we don't have the same number at home. So we have a great we have our library is probably, I don't know, 50 books deep at this point. So it's just a great way for families to build the library so that the reading of what there is to read, the children reading your kids, make sure they're understanding.

00:08:46:24 - 00:09:16:04
Unknown
Talk to them about the book. Look at the pictures. Nothing about the story. It's great. It's important. I recently saw a news program, and they had, former superintendent Boone County Schools, Randy Poe, as a panelist, on this program. And he mentioned just the, significant increase of a student's readiness for school is based on how many words they're exposed to as a child.

00:09:16:07 - 00:09:41:28
Unknown
And I know that a lot of times, we assume that kids are absorbing words from media. So it could be from a game system or a tablet or a cartoon. Do you think there's some, value in that? But when Doctor Putnam is really pointing out is that there is a significant, increase in performance for kids who are exposed to read and text printed text.

00:09:42:00 - 00:10:11:26
Unknown
And so it sounds like to me, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library fills that gap, perhaps for families. And I think I remember correctly, at a former district, we really dug deep into adverse childhood experiences, sometimes referred to as aces. And I was, I remember being surprised that one of those, indicators was. Did you have were you exposed to books and did you have access to age appropriate books when you were growing up as a child?

00:10:11:26 - 00:10:40:11
Unknown
So maybe we, need to do a better job of communicating, with families, the importance of those libraries and the importance of exposure to books. And I appreciate what you said to. It doesn't have to be anything formal. It's just a matter of sitting down and allowing, the young man to call up next to you and reading and discussing and talking about the story together and the pictures, as you say, literacy and involves all of those things.

00:10:40:11 - 00:11:10:06
Unknown
It's not just the printed words, it's the communication of the idea and the concepts that those words and pictures represent. I think is just a simple, simple shift that would help our students so much be more successful as they enter school. And I think, you know, it's important to take a moment to realize that students begin a perception of self based on those early experiences at school.

00:11:10:08 - 00:11:33:03
Unknown
And so we do everything we can. I know that our teams work very hard to address any needs, and we take our kids wherever they are. Absolutely. But one thing that families can do, and maybe they haven't fully considered, is just dedicate 15 to 30 minutes daily to reading with young children, and that will have a huge positive impact on their future.

00:11:33:03 - 00:11:58:23
Unknown
So I appreciate you talking about that. Absolutely. Let's transition. You talked about readiness. What is readiness and how do the why has these youth Service center coordinators, how do those directors assist in making sure that readiness is, front of mind for those students? Well, I think readiness is unique to each student. So where I was as a high school senior is completely different where cameras are today.

00:11:58:26 - 00:12:26:03
Unknown
So understanding what their needs are and where they're at, socially, emotionally, you know, educationally, whether they're ready to go on into the college or to post-secondary, whatever that looks like. It's absolutely individual. So creating those relationships is so important. And Youth Service Center coordinator knows our kids and they know where they're at, and they know how to help that kiddo get to where the kid wants to be.

00:12:26:05 - 00:12:50:14
Unknown
I think that, as your service center coordinator, you have conversations with students about everything. And so readiness becomes where my goals are and where my goals lie in my future. But also, like what? What are the tangible steps of getting there? And then as you service you along with them? And it's a great pride to be able to say, yes, you, you can reach this milestone.

00:12:50:14 - 00:13:13:09
Unknown
What's next? Like, well let's go. So connecting students with supports that they need additional supports and additional resources because sometimes our schools won't have everything that we need. So we need to make sure we have those collaborations together. But readiness is just getting a care ready for where they're going next. That's exciting stuff. I, I is high school principal.

00:13:13:09 - 00:13:50:03
Unknown
I really enjoyed that process. And I have found over the course of my career that students don't like talent, they don't like ability, they don't like knowledge. Oftentimes they lack a framework. And I think that even, well into adulthood that sometimes people resist their dreams because they simply don't know that first step. And so, based on what you've just shared, I see a wonderful opportunity for, like, directors to help kids take that first step.

00:13:50:05 - 00:14:18:24
Unknown
And I believe wholeheartedly that if we can repeat that multiple times over the course of their secondary lives, they're going to be so much more bold and so much more willing to take those initial steps, even if it, plans change and circumstances change and life happens. I think it's so critical to have that framework to, as you say, set a goal and know the appropriate steps of how to reach that goal.

00:14:18:26 - 00:14:39:18
Unknown
And I love the fact that our directors are involved in that work, as you say, knowing every child, every student and supporting them in that journey. Yes. I can't think of a more fulfilling job than to be that. Students kind of guide into the future. And so that's really early and exciting work. It is. It's a great job.

00:14:39:21 - 00:15:02:25
Unknown
It really is. You've talked a lot about, things that I think perhaps, maybe just the typical person doesn't consider, what FRC is and why these are designed for. I know, as a former principal that both elementary school and high school, a lot of times there was this perception that that's where extra clothes were stored. Or if it's dating, maybe it was hungry.

00:15:02:25 - 00:15:24:18
Unknown
That's where they could go to get a snack. But it sounds like to me that the world was much broader than that. You want to talk a little bit about that at all? Yeah, sure. So, part of being you saw service in our family resource career is meeting. There's nonacademic barriers. And we all know that that these basic needs, if you don't have clothes, how are you going to sit in a classroom, learn all the rights.

00:15:24:18 - 00:15:46:21
Unknown
And that's super important. Hygiene is important. Health. There's actually a health component for the family resource. There's any service in your careers where you're addressing those things are basic needs. But it's so much more than that, too. It's the family literacy. It's connecting families to supports that they need. It's students and their career readiness and their mental health and where they're at.

00:15:46:24 - 00:16:06:23
Unknown
So, yes, basic needs is a part, a small portion. But really the the goal is to make sure every kiddo is ready to succeed. And even kiddos who don't need new clothes or food, right? So even the kiddos are in a track like the Ivy League school might still need the support of a Family Resource Center coordinator.

00:16:06:25 - 00:16:27:08
Unknown
We do a mental health service or like a crisis mitigation in the summer to talk to you and be a resource because they're in the club that you are sponsor of. So I just think that, yeah, the job, the role itself is much broader than people give it credit for. So you touched on something that I, more I kind of do it a little bit.

00:16:27:11 - 00:16:49:22
Unknown
Also, the perception is that, those directors are there to serve maybe that just that free and reduced population. But it sounds like to me that can be of service to any student at any time, in their journey and, and having needs met. I think it's, probably naive of us to think that any of us have all of their needs met all the time.

00:16:49:24 - 00:17:13:24
Unknown
And so one thing I used to tell the high schoolers at the beginning of the year was that every adult in that building was there to serve them, and that they were the work, and we were there to give them the best possible future. And I certainly say that that role feeds into that. And also, sounds like that there would be need to be some coordination with the principal and counselors, if you want to talk about that a little bit.

00:17:13:25 - 00:17:34:11
Unknown
Yeah, for sure. So a first can't live in a silo, right. Because students who are seeing the school counselor for grades or even counseling services are probably also seeing their first. So making sure that kind of gets back into class and that kiddo isn't missing too much class meeting with all the different people to try to get the support they need is important.

00:17:34:13 - 00:17:55:26
Unknown
So having that open communication and collaboration with your school counselor and then also your principal, they have to know what's happening in your center. They have to do to support you because they want to support you. They want all kiddos to have success and have, access to things that you're providing, but they don't know about it. And how can how can they help you or help families understand what's happening in their school?

00:17:55:26 - 00:18:16:00
Unknown
Even so, it's super important that the first is collaborating with teachers that's having a counselor, the principal, really just everyone in the building. It's important. Now, you mentioned the plan earlier. So, this work isn't just reactionary, is it? So how is it when our plans develop and how are they developed and and what's that process look like?

00:18:16:01 - 00:18:32:06
Unknown
Yeah. So, it's kind of like a grant. So we say it with this grant, but it's really a program plan. So every two years we have to apply back to first and say this is offering reduced number. The years our family surveys. We still need to have first in our school. Right. Because at any time you can take it away.

00:18:32:06 - 00:18:49:10
Unknown
If we're not producing the information that they want us to. There's several ways that the state monitors first, through in the campus, they check and make sure our data is updated correctly and consistently because they track that. Well, if your center's not busy and you're not having anything and I see, then why do you have a center at your school?

00:18:49:10 - 00:18:56:14
Unknown
Right. So it's super important that first are monitoring your data. But also it's

00:18:56:16 - 00:19:09:12
Unknown
Also, the program plan takes into account this parent surveys, also a staff survey. And then you write components for each of the five components.

00:19:09:12 - 00:19:44:11
Unknown
So you have progress. So, it's the health component. Your program your your data will ask questions about health. Right. And so then you would say, okay, 80% of my staff say that sleep is an issue for my students. How can I as a for school help mitigate that? For my kids. So I would maybe write a, write something into my program plan to say by 2028 during my high school, implement six, programs for sleep help for kiddos and whether that be small group, whether that be spring, summer outside, whether that's, social media blast.

00:19:44:11 - 00:20:11:17
Unknown
You know, it can look this many different ways, but you're being very specific about what you're needing that you're going to do in that program plan. So I recently, with you, checked in with each of our coordinators and principals to review their proposal for their plans for the next couple of years. And what I was so impressed with is that I feel like, coordinators do a really good job of working together as a team on behalf of the district.

00:20:11:19 - 00:20:42:03
Unknown
And so I know that you meet with them regularly and you discuss trends and data and topics that are unique, to the district. But I also appreciated how every center was unique to that school. So the plan really does reflect the data that was gathered through those surveys and the interactions and knowing the community so that, you know, a CMC plan may look different than an empty plan simply for the fact that the needs are different based on those, communities in which they serve.

00:20:42:04 - 00:21:03:27
Unknown
Absolutely. So I appreciate all of our directors taking that time. I know it's, tedious process and there's lots of, data recording and, and, lots of background work that nobody sees. Right. And so typically, what people say is the fruit of all that labor. Then they don't see all the the hard work that goes into it behind the scenes.

00:21:03:27 - 00:21:38:12
Unknown
So shout out to all of our coordinators and directors for doing a great job with that. Absolutely. Well, I want to kind of wrap things up, by talking about these non academic barriers. And so I think what was unique about, Cara and the idea for these coordinators and the centers is that, there was a lot of wisdom and recognizing that sometimes it's not a cognitive or an academic barrier that causes a student to struggle in school.

00:21:38:14 - 00:22:03:15
Unknown
And so I appreciate the wisdom of those legislators and identifying that somebody had to be boots on the ground. It had to be school specific, and it had to involve, and it couldn't be static over time. Anything you want to say about, nonacademic barriers? Absolutely. So our kiddos come to us from so many different places, even within or within great county.

00:22:03:15 - 00:22:27:11
Unknown
I think about six centers throughout our community. And like you said, Mickey needs to Crittendon and, between the high school alone, is that like the breadbasket of the whole community? I feel like and the things that our kiddos experience and the things that maybe kiddos in the North have experienced, the things in the South, how that experience is so broad, that I, you know, I think about grief.

00:22:27:13 - 00:22:50:04
Unknown
I think about kiddos who just need extra support with their homework. I think about kiddos who are struggling just with behaviors. And these nurture support and communication and be able to talk to somebody. I think about kiddos who might be in the foster care system and are coming in just disheveled or, you know, having a tough time, just need someone that they can see and talk to you.

00:22:50:07 - 00:23:25:27
Unknown
And I think that is there and able to do all those things. I think Nonacademic Barriers is such a broad. It you can't really encompass everything when you say that. It just and, you know, it's everything is as everything, you know, even mean that list of things that you identified. I remember we had a significant amount of, students move in from out of district, and so and not having any context, you know, our schools maybe feel a little bit different if they moved to, to us from, Cincinnati suburb.

00:23:26:02 - 00:23:55:23
Unknown
Right. And so the acclimating to where they are and how school works and what they need to know and how they function and operate, I see a tremendous opportunity that, our directors fill that gap quite consistently. They do absolutely what the families need to know. Our families need to know that first are there for you. So even at the high school level, where it's more centered on the student family should be involved in this, you know, what their kid is experiencing, what the kid is going through.

00:23:55:25 - 00:24:15:10
Unknown
They're there to support families through that readiness process and that transition process on, permanency. You know, that first group available to talk to you and to provide resources for whatever your family is going through, whether it be divorce or it just you, you lost a job, they there to help you as well. And they have the resources to connect you with the people that can help.

00:24:15:12 - 00:24:37:00
Unknown
So, for sure they're not just working hard and let's do well. That's great stuff. I know that if perhaps you have questions or you would like to reach out to a school director is simply just call the front office and say that you need help and getting in touch with the FRC or, Youth Service Center coordinator for that school, and they'll be more than happy to help you.

00:24:37:03 - 00:24:59:26
Unknown
Well, then you appreciate your time today. Appreciate learning about, the history and the background and the role of our directors across the district. We want to thank them for their tireless efforts. And, they're on the clock, almost 24, seven, because crisis doesn't, respect time. And so when we have needs, we are quick to reach out to them, and we will continue to do so.

00:24:59:26 - 00:25:12:02
Unknown
But please know that you're very much appreciated. And thank you for sharing with us today. And until next time, we look forward to seeing you again. Leading to succeed you, the Grant County Schools Podcast. Thank you.