Kristin Brown

Students come to school with so many different things that are going on at home, and they’re bringing it all to school. You can’t just work with the students without working with the families. I think that’s where a lot of schools are kind of struggling. 

Green Street Academy is a Baltimore City charter school that goes from 6-12th grade. Our main goal is, of course, preparing students for college. The program that I’m a part of is called Parent Goals. Our job is to help parents reach their personal goals, which will ultimately help their children excel in school. Some of the parents’ goals are getting their GED, or going back to college if they already have their high school diploma. Some have goals of owning their own business. Some have goals of getting their credit together so that they can buy a home. We step in and provide resources for them so that they can start achieving those goals. 

One thing that’s surprised me, in a good way, is that Baltimore City schools are still growing and trying to understand the holistic approach… Being a part of the school system for over ten years, it’s wonderful to see the growth. It’s wonderful to see schools that are willing to step out and realize that families need our assistance too, and that they can come to their children’s school and get the support they need.