youth advocates.Those are district-created positions because we often will find people in the community who are really good with kids, and we want them on our team,” acknowledges Thompson. “When you walk into a building we have what we call Student Support Teams, which is when we wrap around students who have either a need that just came to our attention or maybe has not been successful, they go to that team framework. We have a variety of resources already sitting at that table.” EMPOWERING EDUCATORS The Binghamton City School District has implemented several initiatives to address the challenges associated with serving a diverse and economically disadvantaged student population. One initiative is the “SWAG” program, which compensates staff members for leading stress-relief activities.“It could be a teacher or a custodian, anybody who wants to facilitate a unique and fun de-stressing activity,” Thompson explains. “For example, I just saw one come through on pie making. Every other Tuesday for 10 weeks, participants go to the high school cafeteria, all the supplies will be there, and they make a pie and bring it home. It’s a fairly small investment for us, and we really try to encourage teachers to engage in that.” Binghamton also encourages affinity groups tailored to specific staff needs, such as support for teachers of color or those caring for elderly parents, creating 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05 BINGHAMTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
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