Montgomery Schools Battle Summer Brain Drain
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Summer school usually has a bad reputation, but some Montgomery kids are enjoying a new program in Montgomery.
It’s called the Brain Forest, and it’s part of the city’s summer initiative.
This is the third year for the program, and it’s grown every year.
This summer there are about 200 students enrolled.
It’s not every day students get excited about education.
But that’s exactly what’s going on in the halls of Carver High.
Fourth through Sixth graders are taking part in a 5 week program to keep learning going through the summer.
“We learned the history of our town because we went to Old Alabama Town. Learned things about history there like how lipstick used to be made out of beetles so that was sort of disturbing,” said 6th grader Chyna Lewis.
The whole idea is to put a stop to brain drain, where students can lose months of learning during the summer months.
“We found that that summer learning gap is very significant for a lot of our students. And also getting those teachers these extra practices so that those best practices translate back to the classroom is very important,” said Christopher Blair, MPS Chief Academic Officer.
One mother has four kids in the program and she says it’s made such a difference. She was worried for her two youngest, but they’ve made big strides this summer.
“It keeps them out of a whole lot of trouble and it keeps their education, it continues, it doesn’t just stop in the school, it continues on and on. And we have to get involved in these children’s education. It’s very important,” said Charlotte Belser.
State Superintendent Tommy Bice made a stop by the program to see what’s being done in the classroom. It’s a chance to experiment with different teaching methods and after talking with students, Bice walked away impressed.
“We don’t want kids that can just take a test and regurgitate an answer. We want kids that can think on their feet, they can collaborate to think up solutions to problems and that’s exactly what I saw unannounced walking into a classroom in the middle of the summer in Montgomery Public Schools,” said Bice.
