St. Paul is one of 21 communities recently awarded a $500,000 Promise Neighborhood planning grant from the U.S. Department of Education, to help communities gain the supports they need to be successful. The grant was the only one awarded in Minnesota and one of just two awarded in the Midwest. The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood is coordinated by The Wilder Foundation (as is Compass), and we talk this month with Hamilton Bell, principal on special assignment from The Saint Paul Public Schools and director of The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood.

What is the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood?

The program was inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City and the transformation that community has seen in its students. So many of us in education have been impressed by the work done in Harlem, and I am proud to be part of this innovative and collaborative effort here in St. Paul. Our philosophy is to create a continuum of solutions, in broad collaboration with a consortium of partners, to foster cradle-to-career success for the children in The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood.

What geographic area will the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood cover?

It will focus on a 250-square block area in the Frogtown Neighborhood, which includes Maxwell and Jackson elementary schools, and is one of the most diverse and economically-challenged in the Twin Cities metro:

  • Nearly 40 percent of the residents of The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood are younger than 18, compared to 25 percent in this age group statewide.
  • Many refugees and immigrants live in the neighborhood – 15 percent of residents were born in Southeast Asia and another eight percent in Africa.
  • Single-parent families make up 60 percent of households with children.
  • Two-thirds of Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood residents live in poverty.
  • Eighty-two percent of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.

In short, the kids in the Promise Neighborhood face multiple challenges. But that does not mean they cannot succeed with the right help and the right attitude. I have spent my professional life working with kids who faced tough odds and beat them.

What will happen during the planning year?

Working with Wilder, the Saint Paul Public Schools, and the community, we will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of children and families in the Promise Neighborhood. To do this, we will form community advisory boards and youth advisory boards. To engage the entire community, we will also host a series of meetings. After completing the needs assessment, we will begin to work with solution action groups to draft recommendations for implementation in the next phase of the project.

The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood is comprised of a real “A Team” of collaborative partners – including the City of Saint Paul, working with Mayor Coleman and his office, the Saint Paul Public Schools, Ramsey County, the YWCA of Saint Paul, the District Councils, and the Wilder Foundation, which is managing this project. Many private and corporate foundations have signed on to this effort, showing their commitment to this work and to the success of these children.

Why do you think you were tapped to direct this project?

I was born and raised in St. Paul’s Summit-University neighborhood, which is included in The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood area. I went to Macalester College, and have worked in education in the area for 20 years, serving some of the city’s most at-risk kids. Most recently I was principal of University Academies for Boys and Girls at North End Elementary for the Saint Paul Public Schools. I am proud to say that at North End, we saw some of the highest increases in test scores two years ago – 18 percent in math, 23 percent in science, and eight percent in reading.

Before coming to Saint Paul Public Schools, I served as a dean of students in Inver Grove Heights. In that role, I helped create good working relationships among staff and students by forming groups to combat racism, bringing together mentoring committees and diversity committees, and implementing reading programs. So, I have a lot of experience in working with diverse communities, communities of color, and students with multiple challenges and barriers to success.

What personal qualities will you bring to your work on the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood?

What I really bring to this work is a whole lot of passion. I believe it is our job to create conditions where a child can succeed. I always say the three most important things in this work are: Relationships, relationships, relationships. With students, with families, and with teachers.

With students, you must get these kids to know you, and you must show them you love and respect them.

For instance, I had a “wall of leaders” at North End. We posted pictures of leaders, past and present. Then there was a section that said future leader, and below it I had a mirror. I would take a kid and lift them up and say “Look in that mirror. Who is that future leader? You are!”

I had a program in place at North End in partnership with Bethel University. We had college kids in education programs teaching our students and we took field trips to the colleges in the area so that our students see that these are the expectations and you can go to college. I had each kid’s picture on the wall with a plaque giving their graduation year from college so they start to think of it as not just a far-off goal but an expectation.

With the families, I think it is important to be seen out in the community, as part of the community. The kids and parents see my wife shopping at the local Cub Foods, they see me working out at the local YMCA, we are at local festivals and sporting events. It says hey, we not only work here, we live here. We are a part of your community and we care.

You cannot be afraid to go talk to the parents. When I have kids that are acting up, I go do home visits. The parents may not appreciate what you are telling them about their child’s behavior, but they will always appreciate your showing an interest and a concern.

There is one thing I have learned that is very important: Often you need to meet other basic needs before the child is in a place to be successful, connecting the families with housing, clothing, shoes, gift cards – and doing it without stripping them of their dignity and respect.

A favorite quote of mine is from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “True compassion is more than flinging a coin at a beggar, it is understanding that the edifice which produces the beggars needs restructuring.” That is really where we need to go in this work.

Regarding academic success, nothing replaces good instruction from committed teachers. I empower all staff to help the children and families in whatever ways they see fit. I always tell teachers, give me 100% and let’s get the job done! And that is what they do.

This is a very exciting assignment and I am proud to be part of this amazing collaboration to help St. Paul’s students succeed. I truly feel that I have been given some second chances in life. My gift, my mission, and my job is to help other people see their potential and show them what they can become. And that is what I will do in my work with the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood.

Hamilton Bell is principal on special assignment from The Saint Paul Public Schools and director of The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood. He served most recently as principal at the University Academies for Boys and Girls at North End Elementary School. Prior to that, he served as the dean of students at Simley High School in Inver Grove Heights, and before that he was a diversity specialist at Simley. He has been recognized in Who's Who in Education, and was part of a national award-winning program on truancy prevention in Dakota County. He holds a BA from Macalester College, a MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin River Falls, and an administrative degree from The University of St. Mary's.

Opinions in the For Discussion columns are the authors' alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Minnesota Compass. Compass welcomes a range of views about issues pertaining to quality of life in Minnesota.