New CHS program offers hope
January 13, 2021
Evan Stubblefield, a CHS graduate and resident of Exeter, is the instructor for the new Pathways program at Cassville High School. Pathways offers personalized academic support, mentorship and soft skill development.
Sheila Harris
Early last year, Cassville Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Asbill sat down with a student who seemed to lack the initiative needed to complete his schooling and graduate with his peers.
“What would it take,” Asbill asked him, “for you to achieve success with your classes? What would it take for you to enjoy school more?”
Asbill was pleased when the student answered candidly.
“He told me,” Asbill said, “that he would like a classroom that he could go to at certain times where there were no distractions, a place where he was away from his friends and his regular classroom instructors and was better able to focus.”
Asbill took that information to high school principals Keith Robertson and Nathan Carter, who liked the idea of creating the type of space the student described - not for one student alone, but also for others who seemed to lack interest in, or had given up hope in, classroom success.
From this seed, the Pathways Program, a one-hour, on-campus class with a maximum of 15 students and its own instructor, was born last spring at Cassville High School. A retired educator, Duane Haggard - who sometimes subbed for the school - accepted the position of instructor.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 happened.
“After we switched to virual learning in the spring, the program was put on hiatus and Mr. Haggard opted not to instruct the class in the fall,” Asbill said.
Enter Evan Stubblefield, a 2011 Cassville High School Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry from Ozark Christian College, and who has worked at the local YMCA.
“He was a good fit as the Pathways instructor with his educational background and roots in the community,” Asbill said.
Stubblefield accepted the position and the Pathways Program was reinstituted in November.
Evan Stubblefield quickly developed a good feel for what’s at the heart of the matter for many of the students in his class.
“Some of these kids don’t have a view of what the future looks like,” he said. “Some of them can’t see clearly how they want tomorrow to look, let alone next year, or the years after that.”
According to Stubblefield, the Pathways program is meant to open up options for individualized pathways for students. He talks to them individually about what their future options might be and how practical and achievable different pathways might be. Then he talks with them about what steps they can take toward attaining those goals.
“I try to give them tangible ideas and help them weigh the pros and cons of goals they’d like to work toward,” Stubblefield said. “Conversely, I talk with them about what the negative repercussions for their future might be if they don’t take the necessary steps today for tomorrow.
“This is not a college prep class, nor a class for kids with behavioral issues,” Stubblefield continued. “It’s a class for kids who are on the brink of throwing away their futures simply because they don’t want to make the effort to put in the work it takes to pass the required classes for graduation.”
Stubblefield says he tries to inspire and motivate students, although he acknowledges there’s only so much one teacher can do to create ambition in a kid.
Stubblefield says he has seen small successes. He feels good about the student who decided to come in and take two finals before Christmas break so he wouldn’t have to retake entire classes during the second semester
“He probably cussed me,” Stubblefield said, “but he might thank me later.”
Students who participate in the Pathways program must be referred by their classroom teacher, and then will be interviewed to see how interested and willing they are to participate in the program.
In addition to individual counseling with Mr. Stubblefield if desired, students spend time on the computer working on the classes they are behind in.
Time spent in the classroom is individualized, too, since some students require less time to complete their classwork than others.
“With the Pathways program, we want to help the students first who are in the most dire need,” Stubblefield said, “before they’re in a hole so deep they can’t dig themselves out.”
“The end goal,” Dr. Asbill said, “is for these students - who might need to take a different pathway - to arrive at the same place as their classmates.”
The student he first interviewed, who was in part responsible for the implementation of the program, is now well on his way toward graduating with his classmates, Asbill said.
“Overcoming adversity and finding aspiration and motivation for our lives is part of growing up,” Stubblefield said. “I’m thankful I get to play a small part in that process with the students in the Pathways program.”
Early last year, Cassville Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Asbill sat down with a student who seemed to lack the initiative needed to complete his schooling and graduate with his peers.
“What would it take,” Asbill asked him, “for you to achieve success with your classes? What would it take for you to enjoy school more?”
Asbill was pleased when the student answered candidly.
“He told me,” Asbill said, “that he would like a classroom that he could go to at certain times where there were no distractions, a place where he was away from his friends and his regular classroom instructors and was better able to focus.”
Asbill took that information to high school principals Keith Robertson and Nathan Carter, who liked the idea of creating the type of space the student described - not for one student alone, but also for others who seemed to lack interest in, or had given up hope in, classroom success.
From this seed, the Pathways Program, a one-hour, on-campus class with a maximum of 15 students and its own instructor, was born last spring at Cassville High School. A retired educator, Duane Haggard - who sometimes subbed for the school - accepted the position of instructor.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 happened.
“After we switched to virual learning in the spring, the program was put on hiatus and Mr. Haggard opted not to instruct the class in the fall,” Asbill said.
Enter Evan Stubblefield, a 2011 Cassville High School Graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry from Ozark Christian College, and who has worked at the local YMCA.
“He was a good fit as the Pathways instructor with his educational background and roots in the community,” Asbill said.
Stubblefield accepted the position and the Pathways Program was reinstituted in November.
Evan Stubblefield quickly developed a good feel for what’s at the heart of the matter for many of the students in his class.
“Some of these kids don’t have a view of what the future looks like,” he said. “Some of them can’t see clearly how they want tomorrow to look, let alone next year, or the years after that.”
According to Stubblefield, the Pathways program is meant to open up options for individualized pathways for students. He talks to them individually about what their future options might be and how practical and achievable different pathways might be. Then he talks with them about what steps they can take toward attaining those goals.
“I try to give them tangible ideas and help them weigh the pros and cons of goals they’d like to work toward,” Stubblefield said. “Conversely, I talk with them about what the negative repercussions for their future might be if they don’t take the necessary steps today for tomorrow.
“This is not a college prep class, nor a class for kids with behavioral issues,” Stubblefield continued. “It’s a class for kids who are on the brink of throwing away their futures simply because they don’t want to make the effort to put in the work it takes to pass the required classes for graduation.”
Stubblefield says he tries to inspire and motivate students, although he acknowledges there’s only so much one teacher can do to create ambition in a kid.
Stubblefield says he has seen small successes. He feels good about the student who decided to come in and take two finals before Christmas break so he wouldn’t have to retake entire classes during the second semester
“He probably cussed me,” Stubblefield said, “but he might thank me later.”
Students who participate in the Pathways program must be referred by their classroom teacher, and then will be interviewed to see how interested and willing they are to participate in the program.
In addition to individual counseling with Mr. Stubblefield if desired, students spend time on the computer working on the classes they are behind in.
Time spent in the classroom is individualized, too, since some students require less time to complete their classwork than others.
“With the Pathways program, we want to help the students first who are in the most dire need,” Stubblefield said, “before they’re in a hole so deep they can’t dig themselves out.”
“The end goal,” Dr. Asbill said, “is for these students - who might need to take a different pathway - to arrive at the same place as their classmates.”
The student he first interviewed, who was in part responsible for the implementation of the program, is now well on his way toward graduating with his classmates, Asbill said.
“Overcoming adversity and finding aspiration and motivation for our lives is part of growing up,” Stubblefield said. “I’m thankful I get to play a small part in that process with the students in the Pathways program.”