It is impossible to spend more than a few minutes in Big Sandy without becoming convinced that reading is, indeed, fundamental. Mr. Graham and his faculty are convinced that achievement follows from strong motivation, so they go to great lengths to stimulate interest in learning. To do so, the school tries to make both the long and short-term economic payoff for education abundantly clear. Besides, he adds, this is a logging and farming community, so the kids are no strangers to demanding work. We just want to show them that mind work pays off, too.
Visitors hear about student achievements in every class they enter.
Teachers point proudly to the work their kids have done, insisting that you sit down and listen to a debate or walk to the auditorium to see the models of the Alamo the kids have built as a culminating project for a Texas history unit. Students provide most of the support for the computer network and even manage a computer repair and restoration program where donated computers are fixed up for classroom use. Putting knowledge to work is the hallmark of this invigorating school. First, says Mr. Graham, you have to start with the teachers. You have to engage them in identifying what they need, as his faculty did with the reading initiative, and make sure they are involved in designing solutions to the challenges.