Written on February 9th, 2010 by Sean

A Working Class: The Educational Breakthrough That Is Reshaping America

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In 1994, the Chicago educational system had an epidemic on its hands.  In certain communities, the high school dropout rate was as high as 75%. Like lemmings, students were fleeing the classrooms and flooding the streets. The streets were stricken with crime.  In the span of a decade, something drastic happened. Kids who may have become gang members, were earning diplomas and gaining admission to college. Students who couldn’t afford to go to school were graduating with nearly 90% of their tuition covered at no cost to their families. Confidence in the communities resurged. Children who thought their future would be on the streets now had visions of becoming competent professionals. So what happened?

Necessity is the mother of invention. As a result of the epidemic, Father John Foley, SJ was called into action from South America. The Jesuits, an organization respected for their educational ingenuity, asked him to leave South America and come to Chicago to help start a school for the needy with the caveat that they had to create it with no money; a tall order for anyone. So Foley, in conjunction with consultants, came up with a novel concept: a merger of education and business. He knocked on doors of local businesses and the community rallied behind the idea.

They quickly formed partnerships with respected businesses and donors.  The passion and ingenuity of the project drew the attention of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, which made a  $14 million donation to the project. Gates has always been a proponent of the importance of work and once said, “If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure.” I think any professional can echo those sentiments.  Within a short time by education standards, a school system was created where kids would work one day per week to pay for an education, which would push them to achieve at and often above the level of more fortunate peers. Cristo Rey was born.

Experience is life’s greatest teacher. One of the biggest problems facing our young workforce is that, even after years of rigorous study, the importance of a firm handshake, making eye contact and being on time have not been stressed enough and, though these things seem simple, this “polish” is not missed by employers.  Enter the Cristo Rey Network, who created one of the most innovative educational systems to address this need. The students involved with Cristo Rey work with Fortune 500 companies, law firms, retailers, and a series of other organizations. The school itself has an employment agency inside the school. In order to gain admission into the school, you have to be employable. From the very first day of school kids are taught how to dress, how to look people in the eye, and how to shake someone’s hand. They learn how to answer phones and work copy machines. These are skills that some may take for granted, but not if you have absolutely no experience with them.

Admission is scientific. Cristo Rey follows a formula in which admitted students must come from families whose per capita income is no greater than 75% of the median per capita income of the city where the school is located or the nation, whichever is higher. The school is for the needy. As founder Father John Foley, SJ has said, “If we succeed, we will never have legacies.” Cristo Rey has overcome the inherit obstacles of their admission guidelines. Of those that graduated from Cristo Rey schools in 2008, 81% are currently enrolled in college. The national average is 61% and for Cristo Rey’s particular demographic college enrollment is 41%. In other words, if you are needy and your goal is to attend college your chances are doubled if you enroll in a Cristo Rey school.

Currently, Cristo Rey has 1100 job contracts and the participating organizations love employing the students. The school started with great success in Chicago but now they have two dozen schools across the country. The retention rate amongst companies that partner with the schools is 98%. They love the youthful spirit and pride that Cristo Rey students bring to the work environment.  On any given day 25% of the students will not come into school because they are working.  By the time a student graduates he or she is likely to have four companies or organizations on their resume plus they will have developed a network.

Cristo Rey gives kids structure. This is incredibly important, especially as the kids get older. The transition for many college kids into the real world is difficult. It can feel overwhelming to be thrown in foreign environments, with little idea of how businesses work firsthand. It can cause a tremendous amount of unintended anxiety. In this regard I think that Cristo Rey students will have an upper hand in their adult lives. Having worked since they are 14, they are going to be able to assimilate themselves into the professional lifestyle with relative ease compared to other students.  In a time in life when young adults develop anxiety over job uncertainties many of the Cristo Rey graduates will have confidence because they will already have some semblance of what they want out of life.

Albert Einstein once said, “Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure.” Cristo Rey has provided an incredibly logical structure that has spawned innovation and success. Cristo Rey is a beacon of light that will undoubetedly continue to shine upon young people for years to come.