LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland middle school is working to make a difference in students' lives, both in and out of the classroom.
- Mentoring program started by Ernest Joe, Jr.
- Joe meets with 21 male students twice a month
- More Polk County stories
Data from the United States Department of Education’s Civil Rights division shows black students made up 20 percent of the enrollment in Polk County schools in 2015. Remarkably, that portion of the county's enrollment received nearly 38 percent of the school year's in-school suspensions, and 35 percent of out of school suspensions.
Former Kathleen High School Football coach Ernest Joe Jr, now Senior Director for Equity and Diversity Management for the school district, is doing his part to change those statistics.
He started a mentoring program at Lake Gibson Middle School. As part of that program, he meets with 21 male students twice a month.
He said he’s been mentoring about half of them since they were in elementary school.
“One of the big pieces is character," Joe explained. "That will take you further than any other piece, because the way you present yourself, the way you act, the way you treat others."
Students getting results
Mentee Roy Anderson said his grades have improved tremendously since he joined the program.
“When I get older I want to be a lawyer, but if I keep getting in trouble I’m not going to be able to do that," he told us. "I’ve learned how to do my work, pay attention in class, listen to directions."
Anderson said he also learned how to treat adults with respect.
Another student, 15-year-old Demerrick Davis, became the school’s turnaround student of the year.
“Since the 7th grade, I was like the class clown. I never wanted to listen because it was boring to me," Davis said. "But now I turned around, behavior and grades improved. I feel like a young man now."
Joe also receives help from the school’s behavior interventionist Jimmy Downing, Jr. Davis said he can tell the men genuinely care about him.
“Mr. Downing, it was a field trip coming up and it cost $75, and he said since I improved my behavior, he’s going to pay for my field trip," Davis said. "And that’s a real honor because he has kids himself, He could be just worrying about them. But since he see me improving and stuff, that means he cares about me if he’s going to pay for my field trip."
The students were recently celebrated for sticking with the program and making improvements in their behavior.
“I’m proud of myself. I feel like I’ve really changed since elementary,” Anderson said.
Joe said he’ll continue to mentor the students as some of them move on to high school.