Dr.

Larry Lezotte wrote his book, What Effective Schools Do, in response to a report

written by James Coleman on how little schools do to support students’ academic achievements.

In Dr. Lezotte’s research, he found seven factors that contribute to effective schools. Out of the

seven factors listed by Dr. Lezotte, the three that I feel are the most important are: being a safe

and organized place, having a relatable leader, and building a true partnership between home and

school. Of course, all seven factors are important, however, these would be my top three.

Being a safe and organized place would be my top factor. For a school to accomplish

being safe and organized, they must make sure their students feel safe physically and

emotionally. I feel that Fairview Area Schools does an exceptional job with this. As I have stated

before, I have the advantage of having both a student and teacher perspective. As a student at

FAS, I always felt a sense of security with my surroundings. I had amazing relationships with my

teachers and knew I was able to go to them for anything. The teachers at Fairview Area Schools

were quick to put a stop to any bullying, fighting, or harassment that they saw or were informed

of. They were sure to build us up instead of knocking us down. The teachers were our biggest

advocates. From a teacher perspective, I see even more of this. Teachers and staff love each

individual student and want what is best for them. They communicate expectations and help

students to meet them every step of the way. I am also able to see more of the discipline side of

things. The teachers and principal make sure a student is getting the help they need, instead of

giving them harsh consequences. The staff at FAS put their hearts into the school to make it a

safe place for everyone.

The second most important factor to me would be having a relatable leader. A relatable

leader gives students a sense of security and helps to develop a good relationship between leader

and student. Throughout the past few years, Fairview Area Schools has not had a principal or a
steady superintendent. They have gone through quite a few superintendents since the passing of

Mr. Ricketson in 2016. Many superintendents that passed through were hired as interims until

FAS was able to find a permanent solution. However, every person who walked through those

doors had a smile on their face. They were eager to develop a relationship with students and

make a difference in the school. There was never a period that I didn’t see the super cheering on

teams at sporting events or supporting clubs. This includes the new permanent superintendent. I

have only known Mrs. Taylor for a few months, but what I have seen her do in this school is

extraordinary. Mrs. Taylor takes times out of her day to work with students. There has not been

one out-of-school event that I have not seen Mrs. Taylor or Mr. Ross (the principal) at. They do

an amazing job relating and forming meaningful relationships with the students.

The last of my top three factors is building a true partnership between home and school.

Teachers rely on parents to convey the importance of school to their children and to advocate for

them as students. Parents rely on teachers to teach their children and communicate to the parents.

If there are not open lines of communication between parents and teachers, students cannot learn

in a safe and conducive environment. In my time at FAS, I have seen a decent relationship

between parents and teachers. It seems that teachers and parents at Fairview Area School attempt

to have good communication for the students, however, communication can be hard. Due to

scheduling conflicts, and sometimes parents who don’t seem to care, it is hard to effectively

communicate between parents and teachers. There is some work to be done on the relationships

between schools and home at FAS, but they do a good job.