June 19, 2014
To Whom This May Concern,
This letter is written in support, appreciation, and recommendation of Paul Harvey who has recently worked with Syracuse Northeast Community Center, in collaboration with the Syracuse City School District, to co-run our after-school program. The eight month program works with over 400 students and forty staff members at the Dr. Weeks Elementary School. Each day of the week, children participated in a two-hour intensive extended-day program, where they were able to work with classroom teachers and community teaching artists in enrichment-based learning projects. Running the program was no easy task: large class sizes, community artists unfamiliar with classroom management, and behavioral issues among elementary students were just a few of the challenges Mr. Harvey confronted on a daily basis.
From the beginning, the after-school program at Dr. Weeks faced systemic challenges. The school underwent a total renovation during the prior school year (2012-2013) and students were out of the building and split between two sites during that time. Coming back to a new building was just one of the changes students and staff faced. Dr. Weeks also welcomed a brand new principal and program director for the 2013-2014 school year. Lost institutional knowledge made staffing, transitions, and classroom management even more difficult this year. In spite of knowing these details, Paul joined our team with enthusiasm and charismatic leadership.
I was fortunate to work with Paul regularly. His bright and calm demeanor not only helped me feel positive each day, but it abetted control in a difficult program. Moreover, his communication was regular, concise, and direct. It was apparent to Paul from the onset that programmatic weaknesses would continue to provoke challenge if there were not more regular communication – among program leadership, academic teachers from Dr. Weeks, and community artists, specifically. Since Paul was given the charge of trouble shooting any of the unnumbered program challenges, primarily, his “Empowerment Conference” was just one of the ways he was effective in creating solutions to identified problems.
Of the several conferences I attended, there was one in particular that made a large impact in program – one that truly got people to speak up and want to make a positive programmatic shift. Several times a month and always accompanied by weekly newsletters or debriefing follow-up, Paul would organize and facilitate an empowerment conference – that is, a meeting among program staff and its members to share successes and challenges and then confront them with brainstormed solutions, head on. The conferences improved communication among the staff regarding discipline and procedures, with families through nightly check-in and problem-solving phone calls, and invited any and all day time staff at Dr. Weeks to mentor, counsel and mediate with the after-school program team. Each conference strengthened and coordinated the day and after-school hours. By working on the challenges during the conference, Paul was able to identify mentorship opportunities for children facing the most difficult times in program. These youth were given the opportunity to work with staff and other students in different capacities: as tutors, gym assistants, bus dismissal helpers, face painters and more. It continued to include these youth in enrichment-based learning, while managing the behavioral issues at hand.
Paul’s conferences led to a sharp decline in disciplinary referrals, lower staff absenteeism in program, and a more upbeat and positive atmosphere within the school building. Another way in which Paul contributed, heavily, to our after-school program was by managing and spearheading the end of year showcase effort among staff and students. Family and community members were invited to attend an evening showcase, where students were able to show off their artistic and academic achievements of the program year. Not only did Paul band together several doubting teachers and school administrative members, organize an upbeat and safe event, and involve participants at all levels – from the principal, to the community-organization partner (me), to the several custodians who really helped to pull it off – Paul called the homes of nearly 400 students to personally invite and welcome their families. Due to this effort, Dr. Weeks had the best attended school event of the year at this showcase.
Syracuse Northeast Community Center greatly appreciates all of Paul’s efforts this past school year and would recommend him for any similar program or project. His experiences, leadership style, and educational background are ideal for community-based efforts. If there are any questions with the information in this letter, please feel free to contact me at any time, at [contact Gadzooks! for info].
Best,
Sarah Walton
Deputy Director of Operations
Syracuse Northeast Community Center