Mark Zangari Is Academic Director of Point School

"One size fits few."

It's a quote that hung over my office door for 26 years as a public school principal. I loved my job and the challenges that came with it. I learned early that kids can get crushed in a system that expects uniformity of learning across the wide span of student learners. Many student are outliers and they need those in charge to recognize their personal challenges and be responsive to the needs they bring to school. I prided myself on being their voice and built support systems that gave them a chance to learn, succeed and gain a sense of personal value. As professionals, you know how vulnerable these students can be by feeling exposed in a rigid system geared to a definition of "normal". Their minds are not on academics. Rather, they are consumed with emotional survival as they struggle in the system, adopting defenses and a self-defeating belief that they do not fit in or that they are not capable learners. These often manifest in problem behaviors.

I fought, like most principals and teachers, for more resources and for more understanding of these students as there was a growing trend of students completely disenfranchised with school. I worked with many great educators and we did some important development to keep kids connected and believing in themselves. But public schools have limited resources and enormous political pressure. So many good educators do so many good things to assist students but the reality is that they can only do so much and many students continue to fall out of the system.

Point School Puerto Rico offers the opportunity to have the support tool box that I always craved as a principal. The school provides the resources and investment it takes to reach students struggling in more traditional settings. By design, Point School follows a number of practices that give a student best chance for success.

First, when a student is struggling, making poor choices and is disengaging the system, Point School provides a completely different environment. I call it stopping the bad dance. It removes them from the stressors that are fueling the situation, whether that be school, community, peers, family, or personal conflict. They need a chance to start a turn around without the same repetitive negative situations playing out over and over. It is one of the benefits of being in Puerto Rico, as we are able to provide a structured therapeutic environment that can control those stressors while the student grows and adopts the self-management they will need in life. The environment here is carefully thought out in offering predictability and safety, but not being a penalty centered design. Students have the chance to participate and build healthy relationships. They have life coaching spread throughout the week and supervision provided by highly trained mentors. As a result they gain perspective and insight and can now consider choices they were not previously considering.

The third aspect is to get them engaged in a challenging academic curriculum. This is the area that often suffered the most visibly for these students. And it is the area that can have life-long consequences for them. We chose the Oak Meadow curriculum for its clarity, high standards, high engagement activities, as well as being flexible and adaptive enough for us to individualize learning for the range of learners. Pacing can be adjusted for each student. Students are supervised in their activities, progress is monitored, and support is provided throughout the academic day.

The next key component is to engage kids in high interest activities that are exciting and build a sense of personal competence. Surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, paddle boarding, or just exploring this unique island environment are just a few. Again opportunities to build healthy relations, challenge perceived personal limits, and celebrate new accomplishments are abundant.

The next emphasis is on explicitly teaching life skills. Students often do not acquire these skills automatically and they must therefore be taught and practiced. These skills include things like personal responsibility, decision making, community involvement, personal safety, and goal persistence.

When I look at Point School and see how this experience comes together for a student, one word comes to mind....Powerful. We can provide an integrated experience that sustains the intensity to make positive changes. So much of the good we did throughout the day in the public school, was undone or diminished by the end of a weekend. That doesn't happen here. We can build upon each new success and each new level the student reaches at a pace and in way that works for them. One size fits few.

We thank you for the opportunity to work with your clients.

Mark Zangari
Academic Director
mark@pointschoolpr.com

The Point School is a new, supportive educational center for young men ages 17-24, located in the West Coast town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Students attend in order to graduate from High School or increase readiness for college.