PARENT ADVOCACY. What does that look like in ACTION?

To a lot of us, it is easier said than done; including the local and state administrations. Yet, we all know it’s important for our children’s education for parents to be involved.  So what ACTIONS do we see?

Parent Representation was definitely lacking at the recent Vision 2015 conference as far as speakers and organizers.  Congrats to the parents in the audience, who were first and foremost in the audience, and then secondly, able to get a question addressed by the speakers properly and/or in the work groups to identify parents and/or parent perspectives.  I think there were more questions proposed by parents than were presented.  This demonstrates our need as parents and/or parent organizations to get our voice heard. This event was a clear, measurable action that our parent voice is not part of the organizing and strategic dialogues happening throughout the state when it comes to our children’s education – at best it is only “lip-service”.

In the work group I attended about “World Class Leaders”, I did get an encouraging answer from about half of the panel (i.e. 2 out of 4) and one that just seemed to miss the whole point of the question.  But here is some of the good advice I did get:

• “Make yourself available” both during key events at the schools and in relation to your child’s direct daily life is HUGE -- it is part of “Being there”.
• Pick a topic that you are interested in and feel passionate about; and keep at it!  Don’t let one or two meetings or emails discourage you.
• Look at the ENVIRONMENT within the school buildings as well as the ACADEMICS.  Both contribute equally to the success of our children.
• Don’t invoke anything that would be at the detriment of other children as you advocate for yours.  A workable solution benefits all children within that school setting.
• Expect your principals to provide relevant and timely communication to you as a parent.  At the least, this could be through weekly newsletters, PTA attendance, and phone call blasts, but you should have a general level of communication and also feel free to set a meeting with a principal to discuss matters of importance to you.
• Know what resources are or are not available to your teachers.  The Common Core Standards are being rolled out, electronic tools are being made available within our school environments, and on-going training is always possible. These elements “raise the bar” as to the level of education expected by parents.  Are theses tools all in place for your teachers?

In also thinking about parents, there are so many different types of families, schedules and demands on parents and families today. I tried to break it down into specific, measurable actions that are relatively simple to fulfill the role of parent advocacy.  Each and every one of us can MAKE A RESOLUTION to do at least one of these tasks today.

ALL PARENTS – regardless of your life circumstances:

1.)    Join PTA – if nothing else this is a communications network to receive critical information as it develops in the coming year – on a variety of educational topics (not just sport booster clubs).  This group has been around for 100 years in DE and has some resources behind it – we need to tap into them this year!  (If you still can’t do that for whatever reason, at least become a member of this blog for ongoing updates.)

2.)    Attend an upcoming training event around Common Core Standards to understand where the levels of performance are being benchmarked for the future.  As these standards roll-out, there should be more and more opportunities to be “educated” on the topic(s), take advantage of them.

3.)    Get to know your District Board members – visit the district website and be familiar with the names & faces – at least know when the Board meets.

4.)    IF you are passionate about something your child does in school, inform the BSD referendum work groups. Contact info is on the BSD website, which you can access any time of the day.

5.)    Send an email/ written note to your child’s teacher thanking them for all they do.

6.)    Promise to complete every school or district survey that comes your way throughout the year.  Give honest and detailed information from the parent perspective.

7.)    Find a topic that you’re concerned about and learn all you can about the issues, challenges and successes around that topic.  For example, testing assessment, healthy cafeteria & food options, recess options for healthy kids, teacher evaluations, etc.  Research examples outside of the state via the Internet; ask parents from other schools, districts and states, etc. what examples they have for success.

8.)    Donate books back to the classrooms.  As your child gets older and their reading interests change, give your old books back to the BSD Parent Center for ongoing use that directly impacts our children and young adults.

Parents with flexible schedules:

9.)          Volunteer in the classroom and/or recess & lunch times – it’s just an hour a week or once a month if that’s all you can spare.

10.)      Let your school know if you have an area of “expertise” in which you could possibly make a presentation – like in music or science or art – or a cultural background of interest like Indian culture & sharing a family meal, or learning a second language like Chinese, etc.

11.)      Help with the next membership drive by “manning the table” and asking other parents to join PTA at any event you attend.

12.)      Visit the BSD Parent Center to become familiar with their resources and give input to some of your needs or desires as a parent.

Parents with strict working hours and/or difficult commutes:

13.)      Host a “brown bag” discussion in your place of business with other parent co-workers to learn from each other and together:  Invite other working BSD parents and your DE PTA representative Region 1 (that’s me) to discuss a specific topic.

14.)      Ask your teacher if there is anything you can help with outside of the classroom to assist with the next classroom project – picking up supplies, making or buying a food item or craft items, organizing files, etc.

15.)      Understand which extra clubs or activities support STEM and the Arts in your school environment.  Sponsor another child who may not be able to cover a registration fee for such activities.

16.)      Send an extra $5 into the next Book Fair for another student who may not have the same means.

17.)      Use a vacation day (or two) and chaperone a school trip.  It seems like such a hassle to miss a day of work, but the rewards and insight you get by being with your child and their peers is invaluable.  Plus, you get to remember what it was like to be a kid again too.  (And some days, don’t we all need that.)