Hard-working sixth-graders will stay at Keller Elementary

On the last day of school, fifth-graders at Keller Elementary School didn't rush to leave for summer break.

Teachers said the students, who call themselves Scholars Working Overtime, insisted on sticking to their regular 9½ -hour school day. They even questioned why classes were ending on June 9, a Thursday. Couldn't they work through Friday?

That was out of the question, but they did get an extension of another kind.

Instead of moving on to middle school to attend sixth grade, 35 of the Scholars Working Overtime, aka SWOT, will stay at the elementary school for another year with team teachers Ben Salkowe and Rachel Warbelow.

Keller is a K-5 school. But Clark County School District Superintendent Dwight Jones approved the addition of a sixth-grade class next year at the teachers' request.

During School Board meetings, Jones has praised SWOT as a "pocket of success" and held up the program as an example for the rest of the district to emulate. He loves the enterprising attitude of the 25-year-old teachers.

"That's innovation taking heart," Jones said. "And it's not being led by the superintendent."

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Salkowe and Warbelow believe in setting high expectations for students and families alike. The idealists are more interested in getting results than adhering to a prescribed lesson plan or district regulation.

In addition to extending the school day by three hours for their students, Salkowe and Warbelow supplemented district textbooks and lesson plans by writing their own instructional materials, which they said were better aligned to state standards.

They also organized monthly family nights, camping trips and out-of-state college tours for students. They sold nachos after school on Fridays to help pay for it all.

Like many teachers, Salkowe and Warbelow worked many extra hours without pay because they were inspired by their students.

"I haven't met a single student who said they want to achieve and then didn't succeed," Salkowe said.

On the state's criterion-referenced tests this year, their fifth-grade group was 87 percent proficient in math, 71 percent proficient in reading and 55 percent proficient in writing.

As fourth-graders, the same students were only 47 percent proficient in math and 45 percent proficient in reading. A writing test is not given in the fourth grade.

Because their students showed so much progress, Salkowe and Warbelow did not want to lose them to middle school.

"If we can keep up this growth, imagine what they will be doing by the seventh or eighth grade," Salkowe said.

Keller, near Christy Lane and Stewart Avenue in east Las Vegas, is in a working-class neighborhood where 71 percent of students qualify for the free and reduced-cost lunch program and most parents have not gone to college.

"Our vision is to get them into college," Warbelow said of her students. "What path that takes we're not sure, but we're headed in the right direction."

Jesus Comacho, 11, acknowledged that part of him regrets not going on to middle school with some of his friends, but added that "SWOT is too much fun. I couldn't leave."

Brenda Navas, whose 11-year-old son Jonathan is a SWOT student, said, "It's a very good program. I love it."

She has seen the program improve her son's attitude about school.

"Now, he says 'Mom, I can go to the college. I can do that.' He sees a different future."

CREATING A FUTURE

A year ago, Salkowe and Warbelow did not see much of a future for themselves in Las Vegas.

Salkowe was considering a move to Colorado. Warbelow had been accepted into law school at the University of Michigan.

The pair came here four years ago as members of Teach For America, which recruits elite college graduates to work in low-achieving public schools. They began teaching at Dearing Elementary School where they were hired by Kerry Preston, now the principal at Keller.

Salkowe graduated with a degree in political science from Middlebury College in Vermont. Warbelow earned a degree in journalism and performance cello from Indiana University.

As Teach For America alumni, they believe in a no-excuses, all-students-can-learn philosophy, but they became frustrated with system bureaucracy and the perception that the district was more interested in following protocol than improving student outcomes.

"There are these blanket (curriculum) programs that are supposed to work for all students," Warbelow said. "But when you look at the results of the district, they're clearly not working for a lot of students."

They also felt like all their work was for naught because many of their former Dearing students lost ground in middle school.

"We get updates from them every so often," Warbelow said. "I get letters from one student who has been suspended and is now in a behavior school. It is just so frustrating. She was doing well last year."

Salkowe and Warbelow don't think it's always wise to send all sixth-graders off to middle school, where they no longer have the attention of one or two teachers. Middle school requires them to keep up with the demands of seven to nine different teachers, who may also be struggling to manage high numbers of students.

While this secondary school model might work fine for many students, others may need more attention. That includes those with discipline issues who are not performing at grade level or whose parents are not involved in their education -- they're the ones most likely to flounder, the teachers explained.

Middle school is a critical time in a student's development.

"This is where they either learn to hate school or it's the time we can get them really motivated and excited about college," Warbelow said. "It's when they either get on board or they don't."

Salkowe and Warbelow decided to stay in the district after Preston recruited them for Keller for the 2010-11 school year.

Preston was receptive to their ideas and the SWOT team was born. The program has been influenced by some national models, such as the charter schools called KIPP, which stands for Knowledge Is Power Program.

The principal said SWOT did not need any special permission or waivers to get off the ground. She noted that schools have always offered before-school and after-school programs.

"The only thing we did that was out of the box was the nine-hour school day," Preston said. "There's no waiver for that."

Not all fifth-graders at Keller work overtime as there are two other fifth-grade classes.

Salkowe and Warbelow did not recruit their students, whose abilities span a broad range, but students and their families had to choose the SWOT team and sign contracts promising "a commitment to excellence."

THE BEGINNING

On the first day of the SWOT program, many students showed up at
6:45 a.m. even though their classes did not start until 7:30 a.m., Preston said. SWOT students ended the day at 5 p.m.

For the rest of Keller's students, the school day started at 8:50 a.m. and ended at 3:16 p.m.

Students did not seem to mind that others got out earlier than they did.

Warbelow said their reaction was, "You mean everybody is out of the school and we get the school to ourselves? We get to stay here and keep learning."

The extended school day also meant that Salkowe and Warbelow worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., sometimes longer.

"They receive some Title I funding for tutoring, but they're not compensated for all the hours they put in. That's volunteer," Preston said.

But the effort paid off. By the end of the school year, the teachers who once had considered leaving the district had the superintendent's staff approaching them with offers of support.

Salkowe first asked for more money so he wouldn't have to sell nachos.

When pressed further, Salkowe and Warbelow asked to teach a sixth-grade class next year in addition to their regular fifth-grade class.

Preston said Jones was hesitant at first, but changed his mind because he is "asking people to think out of the box and be innovative. So he said, 'Let's do it.' "

To handle the additional workload next year, the SWOT team will get a boost from a third teacher. Salkowe will teach math to fifth and sixth grade. Warbelow will be responsible for teaching writing. The third teacher will take over reading, science and social studies.

SUSTAINABILITY

Because schools are allotted teachers based on enrollment, the sixth-grade class staying at Keller has been limited to 35 students so staffing at nearby middle schools won't be affected.

While the superintendent is eager to support the program, both Salkowe and Warbelow realize there are limitations. SWOT works for them, but they are not sure it would work for everyone.

Neither Salkowe nor Warbelow are married and they said they have more time to commit to their students.

"In terms of sustainability, I don't think you could expect a whole school to be doing what we're doing," Salkowe said. "We don't have our own families at this point. (But) we are trying to prove what could be done. At any school, if you shuffled around resources, you could find what you needed. You could work out a schedule where this would be more sustainable."

Jeff Waddoups, associate professor of economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, knows of many teachers in K-12 and higher education who are working harder because they don't want their students to be left behind.

"Younger workers are much more energetic, much more idealistic," Waddoups said. "They're not as likely to take the long view. They're much more mobile. If this thing doesn't work out, if a 25-year-old gets burned out by the time he's 30, he still has a long time to readjust."

The downside, however, is that older workers can feel alienated and threatened by the example of younger workers. With the trend toward eliminating seniority rights for teachers, Waddoups said tensions could be exacerbated.

"If a 55-year-old teacher does not show as much energy as a 25-year-old, a 55-year-old gets canned," Waddoups said. "That may be one of the unintended consequences of weakening seniority. You cause more tension."

Ruben Murillo, president of the Clark County Education Association, which represents district teachers, cautions those working above and beyond to "take a breath."

"At some point, reality is going to hit," Murillo said. "You're going to have to say, 'How much longer can I maintain this without sacrificing a personal life, a financial future, and personal health.' "

Murillo thinks it's unfair for the district and the public to expect teachers to "always go beyond the call of duty" without adequate compensation, adding: "Any other place, they would be getting overtime."

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-374-7917.