School officials take their message on truancy and literacy concerns to Macon barbershops

Jhanae Gainey came into Harrell’s & Son’s 2 Barbershop on Pio Nono Avenue with her three kids for a round of haircuts. She left with containers filled with snacks, books and other tokens for her children, courtesy of the Bibb County School District.

It was pure happenstance that Gainey ended up at the shop during one of the school district’s “Meet Me Where You Are” outings, part of a series of six public outreach events around Macon.  But she listened with interest as district officials led discussions on everything from fatherhood to keeping kids engaged in the classroom.

Gainey could understand the need for such an event. While she doesn’t have trouble getting her kids to school, she said, other parents have told her they struggle to do so. Some parents aren’t as actively involved in their children’s education as they need to be, she added. 

“I don’t think it’s the teachers. It’s the parents,” the Macon hairdresser said. “They just send their kids to school for a babysitter.”

School leaders are trying to collaborate with the community to better address the district’s pervasive truancy and literacy issues. 

The district’s most recent update on attendance noted 24.3% of students were chronically absent — or have missed 10% or more of the school year. A month ago, Superintendent Dan Sims took to Facebook to reach out to parents for possible answers.

In addition, last school year at every grade level, students in the county’s public schools trailed the state’s median lexile levels, which measure reading ability, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

As part of the “Meet Me” campaign, school district officials in mid-March visited the Harrell’s & Son’s Barbershop in Greenwood Bottom, an event that drew a dozen parents. They’ve also gone to Twin Cuts Barbershop on Wimbish Road to discuss the issues. 

A similar event is scheduled for April 10 at Pokey’s Emperial Barbershop on Billy Williamson Drive. 

On the Thursday that Gainey came into Harrell’s, the sound of razors filled the lulls in conversations between district officials and a handful of parents as they tried to get at the crux of what they view as a motivation problem. Everyone who walked in was asked for input and to fill out a survey.

One of the barbers suggested the district find ways to reward students for good attendance. A student suggested there be more engaging events during the school day.

Sims said the district has to walk a fine line between “interest and grinding,” or between getting kids excited and getting them to put their heads down and learn.

He said the district offers plenty of programs to motivate students while they learn.

“I can’t think of one thing in Bibb County a kid can’t connect to,” Sims said.

The district will lay out a more comprehensive truancy approach closer to the start of next school year, Truancy Specialist Dominique Johnson told The Melody.

While there wasn’t an outpouring of parents, it was a good start, Steven Jones, executive officer for the Bibb County School District, said.

“We celebrate the small wins,” he said. 

Teachers and administrators also will be at the Macon Mall next month to continue their efforts to reach out to the community.