Fort Worth ISD Enhances Student Potential with My Brother’s Keeper and My Sister’s Keeper Programs

Last year, Saudia Harris and Makayla Thompkins became part of My Sister’s Keeper, seeking a place for personal growth, career exploration, and mental health discussions. Their primary aim was to experience a sense of belonging.

At Southwest High School, Harris leads as president and Thompkins serves as vice president of My Sister’s Keeper (MSK), which includes around 30 members.

The duo emphasizes MSK’s role in creating an inclusive atmosphere for young women from diverse backgrounds, offering a space for emotional support and shared experiences.

“I think girls need that community and that safe space where they can feel welcomed,” Thompkins said as reported by Fort Worth Star Telegram. “And I feel like MSK does that a lot, you automatically feel welcome. You can be brand new, and we want to welcome you. We want to make sure that you’re feeling safe and just someone to talk to, someone to really talk to and hear you.”

Concerns about the program’s effectiveness were raised in an August school board meeting at Fort Worth ISD. Members discussed the merits of the district-wide program, which also runs a My Brother’s Keeper initiative for young men. They debated the program’s goals, its impact on student success, and the possibility of its continuation.

Kevin Lynch, a board member, sought detailed data on student performance before, during, and after their participation in the program, pointing out that current data only reflects a single point in time without showing any progression or regression in student achievements.

“To spend this large sum of money, especially as we talk about some of these populations and us not moving the needle,” Lynch said. “I just want to make sure we’re spending the money where it needs to be spent to move student outcome goals.”

PROGRAM FOCUSES ON MENTORING, COLLEGE PREP AND MORE

Fort Worth ISD students engaged in the My Brother’s Keeper and My Sister’s Keeper programs benefit from weekly sessions focusing on various key areas. These include college readiness, career exploration, community engagement, cultural understanding, personal development, and leadership skills. Additionally, students actively participate in community events like Opal’s Walk for Freedom, Autism Awareness Day, MLK Day Community Service, reading programs for elementary kids, and volunteering at AT&T Stadium events.

During the previous academic year, the two programs were present in 19 chapters across Fort Worth high schools, comprising 15 My Brother’s Keeper and four My Sister’s Keeper chapters, supporting 273 students – 177 males and 96 females.

The highest student participation was seen at Southwest High School with 53 students, followed by R.L. Paschal High School with 27 students, and Polytechnic High School hosting 23 students. Given the district’s predominantly minority enrollment, most participants in these programs are students of color.

In August, a proposal to postpone funding for these programs was rejected 6-3 in a school board meeting. Subsequently, the board approved the continuation of the programs for the 2023-24 school year with a $255,000 contract, in a 7-2 vote, with Kevin Lynch and Michael Ryan dissenting. The board also requested regular quarterly updates on student performance metrics, including test results, academic grades, and graduation rates.

BOARD MEMBER SAYS MY BROTHER’S KEEPER ‘SAVES LIVES’

Board member Quinton Phillips acknowledged the need for improved data on the impact of the program but emphasized its life-changing effects. He shared stories of students expressing how the program motivated their school attendance, provided essentials like shoes, uniforms, or food, and made a significant difference in their lives.

“You have these programs that are making the difference, and they don’t have the language or the metrics to be able to showcase how fabulous they’re doing, they’re doing the work,” Phillips said.

My Brother’s Keeper was initiated in 2014 during President Barack Obama’s tenure to tackle enduring opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color, aiming to help all young people achieve their potential. This is outlined on the Obama White House website.

A White House Council of Economic Advisers report from July 2015 highlighted the challenges faced by disadvantaged youth, especially young men of color, and calculated the economic costs to the U.S. The report indicated a potential 2% increase in GDP, roughly $350 billion, if these young men participated in the labor force at the same rates as their non-Hispanic white counterparts. It underscored the importance of strategies to improve outcomes for these youths, given disparities in education, the criminal justice system, and employment.

Before introducing My Brother’s Keeper, Fort Worth ISD, along with other districts, focused on enhancing academic and social outcomes for students of color. Data from the FWISD My Brother’s Keeper webpage in 2015 showed significant disparities: 76% of African American and 80% of Hispanic students were economically disadvantaged compared to 31% of white students, and only 41% of African American and 55% of Hispanic students met state assessment standards, versus 75% for white students.

STUDENTS GAIN A SENSE OF ‘CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY’

In 2018, Fort Worth ISD introduced My Brother’s Keeper and later My Sister’s Keeper to bridge opportunity gaps for young men and women, aiming to help them reach their full potential. The program welcomes all students, regardless of race.

“This is a program that gives the students a sense of connection and community and a trusted adult that they know has their back and is checking up on them,” Christina Galanis, director of secondary student engagement, said in an interview with the Star-Telegram. “They have that relationship with that person and that’s getting them to schools and that’s a win because that’s going to translate to better attendance, better achievement, it’s going to translate to improve post secondary outcomes.”

Galanis highlighted that the program’s immediate goal is to engage students in mentoring, community service, and volunteer work, fostering a sense of belonging that contributes to academic success.

To address the board’s concerns about data tracking, the Counseling Services Department plans to begin monitoring trends to assess the program’s impact on student behavior, achievements, and attendance over time.

At Southwest High School, My Sister’s Keeper meetings are held every Thursday morning, providing food and a forum for discussing mental health and personal feelings. Activities include sharing personal growth experiences and writing self-reflective letters, to be returned in May to observe personal development.

The program also organizes educational field trips, like visits to American Airlines’ headquarters for career exploration and tours of colleges, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Harris, expressing enthusiasm for the upcoming school year, underscored the value of My Sister’s Keeper as a safe and supportive space for her and her peers.

“I’m excited to see growth in me, since this is my senior year, and just see how I have overcome these past four years and just letting go, seeing myself mature more,” she said.” And there’s some stuff I am upset about but I’m just trying to heal from that.”