Guiding Principles for Clay High School
1. Make me feel safe and comfortable (Need of Safety)
Students want school to be a place where they can learn and interact without fear of being physically or mentally harmed.
Students want to know that they are cared for, and that their issues will be taken care of in a transparent and fair manner.
- Safe school
- Disciplinary system that is fair and just
- School’s physical environment
- Staff/faculty that care for students
Quotes:
“I don’t really feel safe anywhere I go” (Student)
“Be careful who you friend and stay awake as long as you can” (Student)
“Clay is a trouble school depending on the people with fights and more” (Student)
“The bathrooms don’t have soap” (Student)
“For some of the security people, all they do is mess around with students” (Student)
“I’ve heard people say that the kids start fights, don’t take school seriously, and receive a lesser education” (Student)
“The schools are not managed well, some have problems with gangs and violence” (St. Joseph Alumni)
2. Help me find a strong community (Need of Belonging and Love)
Students want to feel a strong sense of community in their school, stretching from friends, to faculty, to administrators.
Students want their high school to be a place where diversity and differences are celebrated, and not persecuted.
- More committed and qualified faculty members
- Diversity (socioeconomic, racial, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) in the classroom
Quotes:
“Most teachers are cool and helpful, some don’t even teach right, it’s a sticky situation” (Student)
“I had a great four years; didn’t learn anything but it was fun” (Student)
“Teachers aren’t really fit to teach” (Student)
“Racial and socioeconomic diversity enriches the classroom, enriches the school community, enriches a lot of the other pieces. I very much value that” (Parent with elementary school kids)
“What I valued most about Clay was the sense of community” (Clay Graduate)
“We’ve had great support from the teachers and great support from the guidance office” (Parent)
3. Offer me opportunities to achieve academically (Need of Self-Esteem)
Students want to be given the chance to challenge themselves through academics.
Many students have aspirations to pursue further education after high school, and want a curriculum that will prepare them to succeed in the future.
- Top academic opportunities
- College prep opportunities
- High graduation rates
- AP/IB offerings
Quotes:
“Study anything, do everything” (Student)
“While I thought Clay prepared me fairly well for college, some of my classmates strongly disagreed” (Clay graduate)
“Some of the classes are just too easy” (Student)
“It was a very good four years, learned nothing but good” (Student)
4. Allow me to learn outside the classroom (Need of Self-Esteem/Self-Actualization)
Students want their education to extend outside of the traditional classroom setting.
Students want to be given opportunities to compete, and learn new skills, and pursue paths that might lead to a future other than attending college.
- Art competitions where band, choir or different groups travel to national competitions
- Competitive sports programs
- Offerings in unique technical subjects
- Freedom to pursue educational paths that align with individual interests
Quotes:
“A lack of arts would be a gap in the experience or education that I would want for my children” (Parent of elementary school kids)
“I like the fact that Clay can offer various art classes, because of the Arts Magnet, even to those that are not in the program” (Student)
“He is part of the magnet program. So, he came here for the music program. He plays several instruments” (Parent)
“I am very satisfied [with the magnet program]. They have tons of opportunities” (Parent)