Every now and then (particularly after a tough Football loss), it is important to remember our ultimate mission and recognize the efforts of those who have brought us to where we are now. Our Chairman Donald Hense received such recognition in a recent article published in the Washington Times.
According to writer Deborah Simmons Donald L. Hense, chairman of Friendship Public Charter Schools, has been many things to many people, and many of the recipients don't know his name. To Mr. Hense, who calls himself a "serial entrepreneur" and a "builder," that's OK because he has dedicated his life to helping others help themselves.
Reared to serve God, community and humanity, Mr. Hense has been establishing charter schools that give youths a fighting chance at productive and successful lives. This year, he opened a school that steers youth toward the high-tech industry and began working with one of the nation's most recognized reformers, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, to begin transforming Anacostia High School, which has been plagued with violence and low academic achievement. Both Anacostia and the new charter school are in Southeast, the city's poorest quadrant.
A pioneering educator, Mr. Hense says a Baptist convention and the words of three influential Americans changed the course of what he thought was a life bound to Missouri.
The middle child of five, he was born in St. Louis, whose gateway led him to the South before answering the call to come eastward and work at Howard University.
Mr. Hense says that his mission remains absolute and that he is resolute, whether shaking hands with presidents, praising children or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with philanthropists as the head of Friendship Public Charter Schools, the largest community of charters in the Washington-Baltimore region.
"I believe this is what will save black people," Mr. Hense said.
Life imitates life
Mr. Hense says faith lights the way and perseverance keeps him going. Every step of the way, he draws from his stable childhood, historical turn of events and profound relationships.
He grew up in St. Louis as it relished World War II manufacturing industries, including McDonnell Aircraft Corp. Young Donald attended his neighborhood school, across the street from his home, where students, teachers and staff were close-knit. His mother, Lillie, was a homemaker, his father, Fred, worked at an engineering firm, and the Hense children knew what their father did on Mondays, his day off.
"Back in those days, everybody was working-class," he said. "We were just coming out of World War II. Schools were segregated, but I don't remember any problems.
Mr. Hense stands among those at the forefront of the new course. Guided by the values, hard work and faithfulness of his parents' generation, he and other forward-thinkers became charter-school pioneers. Friendship schools - the namesake of Friendship House - were born in 1997, the year after Congress passed legislation establishing charter schools. The schools are in Washington and Baltimore.
Friendship parents, Mr. Hense says, are as much a part of the students' schooling as the teachers. They make policy decisions regarding discipline, curriculum, fundraising and other issues. They are fixtures in Friendship schools, just as Mr. Hense's father was when he was a youngster.
Policymakers and decision-makers often forget that children need help every step of the way, he says. "You can't just point the way," Mr. Hense said. "You have to lead, and if you see barriers, you don't retreat. You find different avenues."
Friendship schools partner with successful organizations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to open various avenues for teachers, administrators and students. And sometimes, Mr. Hense says, you have to pave a new path.
He tells the story of a visit to the Virginia suburbs, where the idea for a new tech-centered school presented itself. Mr. Hense was in Reston to attend a meeting and drove around parking lots in the technology area looking for D.C. license plates, searching for evidence that D.C. men and women were employed. To his disappointment, D.C. tags were few and far between.
Mr. Hense says Friendship Tech Prep Academy, which opened its doors this school year, is another opportunity to help blacks help themselves.
There are various types of taskmasters, he says, explaining that some merely tear down and some tear down and rebuild.
"I'm a builder," said Mr. Hense. "That's what I do. That's what I know."
= = =
Friendship Public Charter School is the District of Columbia’s largest community of public charter schools, serving nearly 4,000 students in grades pre-k to 12. Friendship succeeds in preparing a cross-section of children as scholars, workers and citizens on five school campuses. The mission of Friendship Public Charter School is to provide a world-class education that motivates students to achieve academic standards, enjoy learning and develop as ethical, literate, well-rounded and self-sufficient citizens that contribute actively to their communities.
To learn more about Friendship Public Charter Schools go to:
http://www.friendshipschools.org/home/content.asp?section=our%20schools
No comments:
Post a Comment