Simi Valley Continuation School Supplements the 3 Rs With 4 A’s

Officials of Apollo High School say learning the three Rs is based on the four A’s--affection, attention, acceptance and appreciation. And they get on-site guidance from Canoga Park psychiatrist and writer William Glasser.

The Simi Valley continuation school’s program is explicitly based on Glasser’s ideas. For the past two years he has been paying it periodic visits, talking with students and teachers about his techniques.

“A lot of schools will tell you, ‘Well, we would be able to teach the children if they came from better homes or better backgrounds,’ ” Glasser said Monday on a visit. He visits the school on a volunteer basis about twice a month.

“And to some extent that’s true. But if a kid comes from a bad home, that’s all the more reason to provide a loving and friendly environment. We have no control over the home. But we have 100% control over how we treat kids in school.

“We teach teachers from the very beginning to talk to students in a non-adversarial manner, how to approach them without a chip on your shoulder. If a school is managed with coercion, there’s going to be a discipline problem,” he said.

Glasser, whose Institute for Reality Therapy is in Canoga Park, is the author of several books on teaching, including “Reality Therapy,” published in 1965. His latest book, “The Quality School,” is dedicated to Apollo.

Brad Greene, Apollo’s principal and an admirer of Glasser’s work, invited the psychiatrist two years ago to work directly with the school. He said he successfully applied Glasser’s techniques for several years at Apollo, where he has been principal since 1967.

According to Greene, most of Apollo’s 360 students were failing at other schools or were on the verge of dropping out before transferring. Some have a history of disciplinary or substance abuse.

One example of Glasser method is that fighting is not punished. It leads to counseling sessions. Using drugs or alcohol at school produces an introduction to an on-campus Alcoholics Anonymous or similar program.

Most of the classes have no more than 20 students, which allows more interaction with teachers.

“Here the teachers are your friends, not just your teachers,” said 19-year-old George Evrard, who transferred to Apollo three years ago from Simi Valley High School. “They all care about you. They all want you to succeed in life.”

Classes mingle students of different age groups. Desks have been replaced with couches and tables, and students are encouraged to plant gardens and paint murals on school property.

“Part of our belief is that when students have some ownership in the school, they take care of it,” Greene said.

Greene cited a 1985-88 survey that found that 78% of Apollo’s students improved their attendance and 86% graduated.

“But we’re doing more to measure our success based on what students do after they graduate,” Greene said. “As an example, I had one student come back and teach on the staff. We have a number of graduates who are teachers. We have students who are probation officers. And some of those kids who are probation officers were on probation when they were here.”

“The Quality School” presents arguments for using Glasser’s techniques everywhere, but in Simi Valley some school officials say the methods wouldn’t travel well.

Simi Valley High School Principal David L. Ellis said classes at most schools are crowded and the demands on teachers too great. Ellis said although the “more relaxed” atmosphere at Apollo might work for some students, it would probably serve as a distraction for others.

District Supt. John Duncan said he also believed that the program could not be applied at other schools for the same reasons.

Glasser countered by saying his methods will anywhere that the principal is committed to them.