“I appreciate you in advance.”

 

I think that is such a beautiful thing to say to a person, it reminds me so much of saying, “Namaste in yoga class, or peace be with you in church.” What makes it all the more beautiful is the setting of where it is being said, and that it is being said by a Social Worker in a high school, to a high school student. What an incredible way to start to break down a barrier and start a connection with another person. What makes that statement stand out, so much more so, is the juxtaposition of such a peaceful statement being said in order to help to create a dialogue with a person who has witnessed so much violence.

That line will stick with me, as will the profound impact of hearing the stories of students and staff of Harper High School. The stories of the students at Harper High School sound more like something that one might hear from a third world country, or the Middle East – not in Chicago, Illinois. I have lived in larger cities and am familiar with gangs. I have even been a victim of gangs, but I have been completely ignorant of this new style of gangs. Not to mention completely blind to what is really happening in inner city schools in America.

When I first heard Mr. Adams talking to the new student about which “click” he belonged to and heard the boy speak so openly of his gang, I was reminded of conversations that I had heard members of the gang task force in the Beaverton Police Department have with known gang members. Mr. Adams was ferreting out information, trying to build a trust, and trying to make agreements to keep the violence out. But he isn’t a cop, he is a Vice-Principal. What an incredible shift of job duties, from what one might normally consider that of a V.P.

The dedication of the staff at Harper High School is humbling for me. I tried comparing the roles of the staff there to similar positions in schools in my district. We, of course, do not have Social Workers at our school – that was the first time I had heard of that. I also thought of what I sometimes hear staff say, when the administration asks them to chaperone an after school event, compared to what the staff at Harper High said. At my school it is usually something about working outside of contract hours and not getting paid. At Harper High, it was about being truly afraid for one’s safety, and one staff member truly seemed to feel guilty for not being willing to risk her own life

I am a true believer in the importance of trying to build connections and form positive relationships with students. I was truly inspired, amazed, and humbled by the relationship building that goes on at Harper High School. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be a child who has to grow up in such a unsafe, violent neighborhood, and am so thankful that those kids have such caring adults in at least one part of their life.