From left to right, Steve Kyle, Lynn Ross, Tim Boeve, Henry Grause, Les Vadasz, Michael George and High School principal Micaela Philpot. Not pictured, Holly Kyle.
Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
At this time of year high school teachers are hard at work readying lesson plans, hoping to reach every student with a stimulating and informative study program. They juggle piles of mandatory paperwork and squeeze one more desk into a class of more than 30 students. Until now, they have had to do all of this on their own.
But in March, a new volunteer organization found a way to help beleaguered educators in Sonoma Valley. The Teachers Support Network (TSN) emerged out of two local discussion groups that were looking for ways to apply their business and academic experience to the needs of the community.
The high school classroom struck them as a place in urgent need of ongoing assistance for the teachers. Fundraising, they felt, was not the solution. However, a volunteer program that could exploit the skills of a broad range of Sonoma residents could be a way to bring together those who were looking for a way to impart their knowledge and the students who could benefit by their assistance.
TSN spent over a year researching the areas of greatest need for the teachers and students, and meeting with administration, staff, unions and students to begin to craft a plan that would meet the requirements of all the groups involved, and to determine the best way to structure the volunteer program. Starting with a small, achievable program, the nascent organization developed a set of criteria to qualify volunteers and ascertain their skill levels, then set up a mechanism for matching them with teacher’s requests.
As the organization coalesced, it became clear that one person had to take the lead. Lynn Ross, a Sonoma native and graduate of Sonoma Valley High, stepped forward to become the Director of the group.
The Teachers Support Network looked at similar systems in the Bay Area, including one in San Francisco. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel,” said TSN committee member Les Vadasz, “There is a lot to learn from others’ efforts, such as San Francisco’s successful program, which has been running for 40 years.”
Committee member Michael George also volunteered the first semester of the program. “I wanted to make sure that I could have continual, real-time involvement and help fine-tune our program,” he said. Asked about integrating into the classroom environment, George, who assisted in a U.S. History class and an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Development) class, said, “It only took about three sessions before the students were completely comfortable with my presence and were starting to ask questions and bring up problems they needed help with.”
“The AVID students are chosen in eighth grade for their motivation and grades,” said teacher Judy Frey-Cohen. “Most of the students stay with AVID all four years as their elective and usually they are first generation college attendees.” Frey-Cohen already has four student tutors in her class, but was looking for an educated adult volunteer who could work on a specific academic area with a small group.
Dr. Henry Grause, a TSN committee member, also assisted in an AVID class where his skills and knowledge of subjects such as biology and math were called into play. “A portion of the class time is spent in small sub-groups where particular subjects are discussed,” said Grause. “It’s a setting where you are able to be more one-on-one with the students and can help them get over learning hurdles and provide answers to their questions. These are bright kids who just need more stimulation and direction to achieve their real potential.” Dr. Grause also intends to volunteer again this semester.
According to Ross, the feedback from the teachers in last semester’s program has been positive. “We now have more requests from teachers and more prospects for volunteers.” She wants the community to know that the school needs people with all kinds of experience. “It’s really exciting for me personally to see the volunteers so enthused about what they can contribute. The level of generosity in this community is phenomenal.”
The reason for that enthusiasm may come from the kind of experience Michael George had in the classroom. “When you first sit down with the kids, half of them have their eyes glazed over with boredom. After 15 minutes of talking and helping them understand the issue or the relevance of the material, you see them start to sit forward, ask questions, come up with ideas—and their eyes are sparkling with enthusiasm. They got it!”
How to Reach Teachers Support Network
Teachers Support Network
Sonoma Valley High School
Attention: Lynn Ross
20000 Broadway
Sonoma 95476
lynn@svtsn.org
www.svtsn.org
Teachers Support Network Steering Committee
Tim Boeve. Executive Director, WillMar Center for Bereaved Children.
Michael George. Former global technology executive and investment banker.
Holly Kyle. Retired from the American Crafts Industry. A volunteer for numerous local associations.
Steve Kyle. Founder and manager of the Harvest Festival. A volunteer since 1995 for a number of local non-profits.
Les Vadasz. Part of the founding team at Intel and a volunteer for many education-related programs.
Dr. Henry Grause. Former Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF.
