RICHMOND, Va. — When the school day is over at Martin Luther King Middle School in Richmond, not every teacher is headed home for the day.
Several teachers at the middle school are spending their time continuing to work with the students, even after the bell rings.
Jean Jeudi, a history teacher at MLK, and another teacher wanted a way to have a positive influence on students after school hours, as the middle school has seen it’s share of struggles.
“They’re the ones taking the initiative to want more for their lives,” said Jeudi.
Which is why the two started Control Youth. It’s an after school program for students to help put them on the right track.
“Our goal is to give them a view of what the real life entails, so that means dressing up professionally, following the rules, not just in the program,” said Jeudi.
The group has meetings once a week after school and the teachers are doing it all on their own time.
During the meetings, the students are being taught the importance of continuing their education, and how to control their behavior in the classroom and in real-life situations.
“We’re showing good examples for the other kids…to show them that they can do good like us,” said Rashad Jordan, a seventh grader.
Jordan said, unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see fights break out at the school, which is why he says he wants to pass along what he’s learning in this group to his fellow classmates.
“Stick up to your mistakes of what you did,” said Jordan, “Don’t try to lie to other people.”
