When Capacity Runs Out: Closing the Communication Gap in Schools

PARTNERING WITH THE PRACTICE SPACE

Since our start in 2017, The Practice Space has served over 7,000 participants and partnered with nearly 20 school districts and charter networks. Our programs are centered around communication and leadership skill development, filling an essential need for oral literary education in underfunded school districts.

Leslie Reckler is a trustee on the West Contra Costa Unified School District School Board. Her job involves evaluating the Superintendent, approving the budget, and designing the overarching vision for the school district. Her relationship with AnnMarie, The Practice Space's Founder & CEO, spans over a decade. "I saw The Practice Space being born," Leslie shares.

Since 2017, The Practice Space has run over 100 programs and public speaking events at various school sites across WCCUSD. Leslie's experience with our organization has a personal undertone as well. Not only did she take private lessons with AnnMarie, but "both of my children were in speech and debate at El Cerrito High School," she explains. "My daughter actually worked for The Practice Space at an after-school program."

When describing the school district's partnership with The Practice Space, Leslie nods, "I'm always an advocate for them. The Practice Space is one of the most well-organized and well-run organizations I have ever dealt with, personally and professionally."

Another major advocate for The Practice Space is Ian Bader, former English teacher and current librarian at John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond. Ian helped bring The Practice Space to his school- an organic and arguably fateful convening.

"I had this one class that would love to argue with each other in a constructive, healthy way," he begins. "You know, John F. Kennedy High School has a rich history of forensics and debate going way back before my time," Ian explains. "The school was interested in supporting an after-school debate club. I was like, 'Well, I've got these students. I'm willing to be the faculty advisor, and there's a space for it.'" The Practice Space was brought in, and the rest is history.

WHY FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION?

For Ian, the answer is easy. "Communicating with other people is an essential, if not the most important job skill," he declares.

"It's very important," Leslie agrees. "Part of our graduate profile is to be effective communicators." More specifically, Leslie continues, "I think that The Practice Space's work is vital for students finding themselves and for building student voice." 

"How to advocate for yourself, how to express yourself, how to express ideas, how to be compelling in arguments"- all of this, according to Leslie, is "vital for your survival."

When reflecting on her school experience, Abby Yee, a participant of The Practice Space, weighs in: "I think it's really important for young people to learn communication skills because we use them daily, but a lot of the time it's not something we're ever taught. It's just something we're expected to have." Abby continues, "Growing up, I never had any classes or programs where I learned how to speak or where I learned how to write."

In classrooms across the country, "Students are expected to develop a PowerPoint or Google slideshow and present it to the rest of the class, but there's no opportunity to learn how to do that inside the classroom," Ian points out.

"All of our students who experienced The Practice Space's after-school program," however, "were super comfortable presenting in class," he says proudly.

CLOSING THE ACCESS GAP

Capacity is a crucial issue many districts face, and is often a barrier to bringing on necessary after-school programs such as The Practice Space. Ian sums it up nicely: "It's a funding issue that prevents The Practice Space from coming in. But it is a capacity issue that necessitates The Practice Space coming in."

He continues, explaining that for many districts, there's this idea of "'Oh, I don't have any room for something new,' no matter how essential it is. Unless somebody comes in and figures out how to fit everything together, there's an inertia that keeps it from creeping in."

"The Practice Space is filling in that gap," Ian affirms. "It was super helpful for our most vulnerable students- it got them a jump on what they were gonna have to do once they graduated."

TALK THE TALK AND WALK THE WALK

If effective communication is a priority at your school district, embrace it. By adding The Practice Space as an after-school program, you're not only granting students the oral literacy education they deserve, you're setting them up for future career & life success.

Fill out our School Partnership Interest Form to get started. No payment, no commitments, just general inquiry to get the ball rolling.