The African-centered approach to education encompasses more than just the curriculum at the Adelaide Sanford Charter School. It extends to the way those in the school community — children, parents,teachers and administrators — share their lives with each other.
In its essence, the Adelaide L. Sanford school is like an African village. It’s a nurturing environment designed to empower and mold the minds of future leaders.
Dr. Adelaide L. Sanford, for whom the school is named, is a much revered and honored African-centric educator, who has long been an advocate for the education of underserved children. She was a primary-grade teacher in New York and eventually rose to the position of vice chancellor of the State University of New York’s Board of Regents.
Dr. Sanford is very much involved in the school, working with staff, parents and, of course, the children.
De Lacy Davis, the school’s leader, said Adelaide L. Sanford does more than just teach about the contributions of African Americans to their country. It’s a motif present across the curriculum. Adelaide L.Sanford’s goal, he said, is to educate children and provide them with the structured, supportive environment that will allow them to become leaders.
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The school, founded by the CEO, Sister Fredrica Bey, has a logo and uniforms that contain a touch of purple, which Davis noted, represents royalty, a subtle way of reminding students that they’re special.
Located on Lincoln Park, the school is in its fourth year and has 288 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It adds a grade level each year and eventually will offer classes through eighth grade. Like most charters, Adelaide L. Sanford can’t accommodate all who want to attend and currently has 200 students on the waiting list.
The curriculum isn’t the only aspect of what makes Adelaide L. Sanford charter school special.
“It’s a community environment, a family environment,” Davis said.
If a child is inappropriately dressed or late frequently or another problem arises, Davis will seek out that parent — at work, at home, even in a college classroom — to straighten out the issue immediately.
Parents, he said, must be a part of the education equation and Davis reminds them of that constantly.
The village concept plays out in other ways, as well. The school, Davis said, will help parents with employment problems, such as lending a hand in finding a job.
And like members of an African village, the Adelaide L. Sanford community reaches out to others.
The success at Adelaide L. Sanford has caught the attention of educators not just here but in other countries as well. This summer Davis will be at Oxford in England to present a paper on motivating African-American children to achieve.
The influence of this African village is spreading.
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