"My job is to be the best I can be everyday and to give the best I have every day, understanding that I have to develop myself inside and out. I cannot let anyone make me feel small and keep me from giving my kids and my community my best. I also need courage and to be proud of what I do, and be okay with who I am and what I bring."
Dr, Tresa Dunbar Garrett
Shawntrice: What lessons did you learn while working at the detention center?
Tresa: The biggest lesson that I learned was that I had a child I didn’t like. I did not like him at all. I had never felt that way before. I had a little buddy who was a long timer who was by my side all the time. One day we were eating lunch together and he asked me “Why don’t you like the new kid”? I said what do you mean, he said “You don’t like him and everybody knows it.” I remember feeling like I couldn’t catch my breath; he had been watching me the whole time and was horrified by the way I was treating this kid. He was telling me that everybody was disappointed in me because of my behavior toward this kid. I started crying and he said something to me like “What you crying for now”? That was the best lesson that I ever learned. It made me realize that I am a role model and that someone is always watching me. I have never forgotten that lesson.
Shawntrice: There is a lot of violence going on here in Chicago and we have made national news. How has the violence affected education?
Tresa: I would say that the educational process has not helped to decrease the violence because we have cut out a lot of the social and emotional programs. Every school should have a counselor, social worker and a psychologist every day and a nurse. That should be standard operational practice.
Shawntrice: How do you reach children who have no respect for authority?
Tresa: One of the ways is by building trust and having hands on and one-on-one interaction with the child and the parent
Shawntrice: How has your school been personally affected by the violence in the city?
Dr. Dunbar Fills In The Blanks
The educational system needs: love, support, guidance and accountability.
I believe the violence will stop in the city of Chicago when: we realize the problems that face our community