An exciting addition to Fort Smith

Editor’s note: This essay is the second of a four-part series written by community partners of the Future School of Fort Smith. Link here for the first essay in the series. Talicia Richardson is a mother of two, a graduate of Northside High School, an entrepreneur and a community advocate.

Opinions, commentary and other essays posted in this space are wholly the view of the author(s). They may not represent the opinion of the owners of Talk Business & Politics.
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When I graduated from Northside High School 25 years ago, I left Arkansas to earn my undergraduate degree because I wanted to experience life outside of Fort Smith. I wanted a different perspective from outside the state of Arkansas.

Four years later with bachelor’s degree in hand, I desired to return home and attend graduate school at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I wish I could say returning home with an undergraduate and graduate degree at the age of 23 yielded multiple job offers, it did not. I left the city and state, and had an extremely rewarding career, fulfilling my dreams of owning my own business.

During my travels, I lived in five different states and four major metropolitan cities (Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Phoenix). I was exposed to diverse approaches to education and engaging methods to reach students, parents, and businesses – even ways to recruit teachers. I was fascinated.

My daughter attended private, Blue Ribbon and International Baccalaureate schools in Texas and later attended public high school in Phoenix. One of her classmates stood out. This young woman had been provided with an opportunity to intern with a licensed electrician, which later turned into an apprenticeship. Two years later, this young lady worked in her field gaining hands-on experience. Armed with options, she decided to go to Arizona State University where she received a full scholarship for electrical engineering. She had options and was not held back by debt.

Now that I am back in Fort Smith, I am excited by the progress of our city. When I met the leaders of Future School last year, they told me of the school’s focus on community partnerships. I immediately thought of my daughter’s classmate. With additions to our community like Future School and other innovative programs within the Fort Smith Public School district, we are becoming a progressive city. We are offering a variety of educational options now which also present a win win scenario for the growing area businesses in need of a strong, capable workforce. Whether college-bound, entrepreneurial focused, or ready for work … it is time for education to get back to true career exploration.

I lived in the Dallas area when charter schools were launched in the 90’s and there were many. I heard the pros/cons of the implementation of such schools, and with Future School I wanted to get involved and I wanted to hear first-hand what they were talking about. It’s a school that will design a program for a student – customization! And it will promote healthy communication and robust dialogue that is all student centered. Imagine a holistic approach to educating a generation of thinkers that are out of the box and have the world at their fingertips.

Are we reinventing the wheel with these innovations? Not exactly.

There were two men that immediately came to my mind when hearing The Future School’s approach. Mr. Abernathy and Mr. Hendrix, two phenomenal educators, who embraced the academic journey of youth for decades at Howard Elementary School in Fort Smith. They consistently created an environment for students that was customized to meet the needs of the students and their families. They were nurturers, involving a “community of unlicensed teachers” (i.e. neighborhood residents, pastors, local merchants, etc.). They drove students to fulfill their potential, even traveling to their homes to ensure academics were before sports. These two great men inspired many other great men to become educators and leaders in their communities.

How exciting will it be for a student, our students, supported by their families, to design an educational plan that meets the needs of the state without compromising the needs of the students!

I am pleased that the State of Arkansas approved The Future School. It is a wonderful addition to our repertoire of educational offerings in the city of Fort Smith.