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This article from the Atlantic does a fantastic job of laying out the steps that Amarillo College is taking to address students’ basic needs. Its approach is working.
I was lucky to get to know its president, Russell Lowery-Hart, in the Aspen program, and to consider him a friend. He walks the walk. His leadership is purpose-driven, and the purpose is to enable students to climb out of poverty. Everything follows from that, whether it’s connections to social services, a food pantry, emergency financial aid without formal applications, or shorter semesters. The common denominator is respecting the humanity of students.
The article briefly mentions this, but it’s worth amplifying: Amarillo College has eliminated achievement gaps by race. That’s an extraordinary accomplishment. It’s the sort of thing that should be studied, learned from, and used as a source of hope.
Having recently embarked on some efforts along similar lines here, I can say with confidence that this stuff is _hard_. Resources are limited, resistance comes from all corners, and there’s always a reason not to. Always.
But the right thing is the right thing, even when it’s difficult. I tip my cap to my friend, and recommend the Atlantic article to anyone who cares about community college students. This is what it looks like to take students seriously.
