“Thugs.” “Troublemakers.” “Rejects.” “The bad kids.”
These are the words used by a teacher and two students at Take 2 Alternative Academy when asked how they think the public views them and their school.
“We fight some big misconceptions,” Take 2 science teacher David Jones said. “People think that it is the school for bad kids. That it is the dumping ground and all we do out here is baby sit.
The biggest misconception though is just the prejudice that is out there because people just aren’t educated about who we are, and they won’t take the time to find out.”
So what, then, is Take 2?
“We are a school that strives really hard, not only for educational success, but for whole life success,” Jones said. “Academics are important. You need them and you have to have them. But the academics can’t happen until these kids get their lives straightened out and have people they can talk to or that can help them.”
Jones is in his ninth year at Take 2. And while he has had his share of challenges, most of his stories are stories of success and triumph. And those positive stories are what keep Jones and the other teachers doing what they are doing.
“It almost sounds kind of cheesy, but I was at church Sunday, and I came across one of our former students,” Jones said. “This girl, when she was a student out here, she was in a really bad, abusive relationship, she had a kid on the way and she was so frustrated. But you fast forward. She graduated high school, got her stuff together, graduated from nursing school, found a good Christian man, got married, has another kid and she is just doing absolutely fantastic. So now she is going to make sure her kids have what she didn’t have. So you get to see what you started with. Then you see what you finished with. And it is just amazing. That is just an awesome story.”
So what are the biggest challenges Take 2 teachers face? Jones said competing with outside influences and bad home lives are some of the toughest.
“We have some kids that just have horrible influences, and next-to-nothing home situations, and we see them scrap it out and tough it out and end up doing fairly well,” Jones said. “That is the best part. Out here, it’s a lot different. Usually, what we start with are very disadvantaged kids that have no lifelines. Their task is so much harder.
“Trying to overcome many, many years of bad parenting, bad upbringing and no social skills, and at the same time work on scholastics is very challenging,” Jones said. “Some of these kids come to school hungry, or after being at the hospital all night, in absolutely no shape to learn, but they still come. Every day, we are dealing with something new. Trying to balance personal lives and academics is probably the biggest challenge we face.”
The important thing, Jones said, is to get the students to understand that the teachers are there for them and willing to listen to them.
“At first, it is a challenge,” Jones said. “It is hard for the students to buy into it. But I guarantee you, you ask any of our graduates or the kids who have been here a couple years, and 99 out of 100 of them will tell you that the teachers out here will go the extra mile regardless of what the situation is. And sometimes it is little things. We’ve bought these kids groceries, I mean you name it and we’ve done it. But you can’t just talk to them, You have to show them. These students are very perceptive. They know the difference. They know if you are faking it, or if you are the real deal. They will figure you out real quick.”
So what do the students really think?
Chrissy Smith is a senior at Take 2 and she will graduate in December.
“The teachers here explain things to where we can actually understand it,” Smith said. “And if you don’t understand it, they will help you work it out and make sense of whatever it is you are working on. They actually care and they want to help. And they do. Every single teacher out here has a certain quality about them. And each and every student has some kind of a bond with the teachers here.
“And Mr. Jones is one of the best teachers out here,” Smith said. “He is real cool. He is always there for you. I can be having the worst day, and walk into his classroom and some way he will make me smile. We are like one great big family out here.”
Smith said she sees Take 2 for just what it is.
“Take 2 is a second chance,” she said. “I mean, it is in the name, Take 2. And for the majority of the students that have graduated from here since I have been here, they have come out here simply because they needed a second chance. Some kids can’t concentrate well in a big environment like Ardmore, with hundreds of students. Here, it’s a little quieter. The teachers actually understand what we are trying to say to them. And if we have a problem, they don’t expect us to know the answer just then. They help us get through it.”
Jones said he thinks the perception of Take 2 is improving. And he credits the entire faculty and staff for having the desire to improve the lives of their students.
“We are seeing more and more of our kids every day out there doing good things and succeeding in life,” Jones said. “And all these other teachers out here are awesome. James Meece and Lori Bell are amazing. We couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t have those guys backing us up. Every teacher that works here absolutely wants to be here 100 percent. They believe in our mission to help these kids scholastically and through all their life experiences. You have to buy into it. If you don’t buy into it or you are playing the game, the kids will know that you are not here for them.”
Micah Groves, 221-6524
micah.groves@ardmoreite.com
