Monday, October 24, 2011

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.)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Walk the Talk

So I’ve gotten a few blog responses about previous postings – which is great fun!  It means the parent dialogue is slowly starting and we’re “finding each other” as far as areas of interest.  Plus, by sharing information, we’ll learn so much more together in a shorter amount of time.

So here are a few updates:

  • PTA Representation: I “challenged” parents to join their PTA and/or local parent group.  In response, I have agreed to be the BSD representative for the DE PTA.  It is my understanding that it perhaps has been YEARS since BSD had a representative at the state PTA.  So now is our chance to gather more resources, get involved in some of the state efforts that are directly impacting our classrooms (i.e. DCAS details, Common Core understanding, etc.) and demonstrate our parent commitment to education throughout our district. Let me know what you’d like to hear from the state level and/or resources our district parents need. I believe in the power and passion of parents for their kids, so let me know how we can work together to set the bar higher.

  • RttT BUDGET!!!:  I’ve tracked down some figures – so this will at least give us a starting point for the initial allocation of funding under BSD’s plans for RttT.  In very simple terms, for BSD their RttT funds in Year 1 were allocated to: 
      • 60% staffing
      • 20% trainings
      •   6% supplies & materials
      •   7% contracted services
      •   7% indirect costs
I am trying to get clarification from the district as to their definition of contracted services and indirect costs, so an update will be coming.

In addition, some very detailed-focused parents also sent me resources to track the grant funding from a state and national perspective in a much more detailed level.  Happy to share in greater circulation if requested, but I’m thinking busy parents only want the “big picture highlights” before going into too much more detail.  Again, let me know if my assumptions are correct.

o        Vision 2015 Conference:  I did attend this Rodel Foundation event yesterday and have mixed feelings as to the content.  The biggest omission to me, once again, was a parent voice.  There were federal, state and panel representatives throughout the day.  Occasionally the parents might be mentioned in a list of stakeholders, but our perspective and opinions were not strongly voiced. And I think we need to change that!  I’ll have a future posting dedicated to more about this event, but the other items that stand out for me the next day are:
§         Parents need to get involved – NOW. 
§         William Budinger, the Founder of the Rodel Foundations, “gets it” as to the profound educational shift our children are facing today compared to previous generations.
§         The advantage of Delaware being a small state that can respond quickly by gathering resources together is equally disadvantaged by the “bubble” of local influence and perspectives that seem to perpetuate itself – if the DE school systems were so great, we wouldn’t need RttT!
§         The educational jargon distorts real results.  I didn’t get a good comfort feeling that things are improving for kids in a positive way, quickly enough.

o        ADVOCACY for our children by their parents has been proven to be the difference that turns around school districts and education.  The administrations, principals and teachers can’t complete this huge endeavor without communities, businesses and most importantly parents being involved.  And it can be simple things that we do together -- better understanding of the building cultures, volunteering for field trips, educating parents as to grade level goals, challenging the results of state tests not being what was promised, etc.  More to come on this in future postings!

Let me hear from you as to your parent perspective on this posting and/or other topics.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Why Don’t Parents Join PTAs Any More?

Parents attend Open House at the beginning of the year; The fall Parent/Teacher Conferences; Winter & Spring Concerts; and various sporting events throughout the year;

…yet when it comes to the one historical organization that is focused on overall education and school environments, the PTA seems to be the last group parents are standing up for these days. 

And don’t get hung up on the name – whether it’s PTA, PTO, a booster group or parent group, the overall attendance and memberships of these organizations seems to be declining.  There are a few strong ones out there, and fundraising always seems to be front and center in discussions at most meetings – yet the advocacy, sharing valuable business information and holding our district and state leaders accountable through these types of groups with strong membership seems to be lacking.  Yet, parents can have the strongest voice in educational discussions.

Is it just the economic times?  No – because volunteering at a school is a great way to support your child’s development, show all children by adults simply being there that education is important and at the same time build your resume between jobs opportunities or investigate different career paths.  Plus, it’s an easy effort that has amazing rewards and insight as to the world of children today.  So you would think that there would be more parents in schools – it’s not happening in the way it should.

Are parents too busy and stressed out to join?  May be but I think No – it’s putting down a little bit of money and adding your name to their membership list.  What YOU DO WITH IT after that, is up to you. You don’t necessarily have to show up all the time for meetings and fundraising requests, But by simply adding your name to a list, you show to the school, the district and our communities that parents are adding their clout and have a network, that if needed, can act.

As children and teens get older,  are parents no longer the primary influence on them?  No – parents and teachers working together, all be it, behind the scenes sometimes, can have a huge impact on a variety of children and young people.  Those they know and those they don’t, by standing up for education, strong community values and working together to solve problems.  At times there is so much emphasis on 0 to 5 yrs of age that the fact that it takes most children 18+ years to reach adulthood seems to fade away.  As a parent, I guide my child’s development until the day I die.  (I know my 92 year old grandmother still has influence over my dad at the age of 65+.)

Is there too much “bickering” in meetings and/or are the personalities too “annoying”?   Some might think that there is some truth in this one, but it is not any different than our working environments.  We all need to get along and to find the strengths in each other and work to the greater good – right, isn’t that what we try to tell our kids a lot of the time.  Yet, when parents have the opportunity to impact change, we don’t want to be bothered? 

Every year, new leaders, new mixes of parents, new classes and new administrative teams are formed in the district and in each school.  Every year is new and fresh.  And every year, new and different parents can lead a parent group, an educational discussion and/or classroom fundraiser.  Those personalities only stay in their positions because we let them. 

I don’t know what’s happened in past years with the “politics” of different PTA groups and frankly I’m looking forward at today’s leaders, their visions, their actions and building a better education system as quickly as possible in very challenging times.  I’ll use whatever resources I can find to improve our educational services for all kids.

So take up my challenge and join your local PTA / Parent group today and get educational advocacy on the forefront.  And it’s not too expensive – memberships run from about $5 to maybe $20 or more depending upon the parents’ focus.  It’s a cup of coffee, change collected for about a week from the car & couch seats and/or whatever comes out of pockets in the laundry.  What does it get you?  A growing voice in our children’s educational life, the ability to find like-minded parents and another way to try to stay informed as to the dynamic school settings across our district.

DCAS Note:  On August 19, 2010, Delaware joined in this state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Offices (CCSSO).  Today only 6 U.S. states have not yet formally adopted these educational goals.
The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. 
Look for more information from the DE PTA on this topic in the coming months.  Plus, as parents, we need to make sure the DCAS Assessment now aligns with these new standards through the types of questions being asked and the back-end reporting to both teachers and parents for a national perspective.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Key Items on BSD Website this week

So check out a few items on the BSD website:

  • District Brochure on “Measure Up” -- in the yellow box on the left.  This was handed out at the Breakfast last week as well.
  • Site Shortcuts – top 2 items – 2012 Referendum and the Year 1 RttT Progress Report

The “Measure Up” Brochure – A great marketing piece out to the community leaders to reminder everyone of the many programs within BSD.  As a parent, some of the programs I knew, others I need to educate myself a bit.   I also want to see what’s available to the average student – if my kid is not at the top and not at the bottom, do they potentially “fall through the cracks” and just coast.  What BSD offers that student will demonstrate the overall strength of the district.  (And don’t get me wrong, my kids are taking advantage of some of these programs and opportunities, but as a member of the community, I want to know our district is turning out the best “citizens” that fill our employee ranks and customer service jobs throughout the area as well.)

2012 Referendum – Once on this link, check out the Nav bar on the left.  These listings represent the 5 working groups that are digging into the details of what’s happening in the district and what impacts the referendum will make on overall operations.  These groups are just kicking off, but you can see the representation.  And yes, I am on 2 of the working groups and see a few other parent names as well.

Year 1 RttT Progress ReportLot of information in this report, not all of it will parents “get” at first glance and not without a lot of discussion.  Sometimes there is too much educational jargon and the “big picture” planning efforts are difficult at this stage to measure back down to a classroom.  And as a project manager by experience, one key item that is missing from this report for me is the BUDGET/MONEY.  (As you’ll learn, I want to see the financial tracking of RttT.  I think it is part of our responsibilities as parents to make our leaders accountable to the fiscal picture as well.  This money was a “once in a lifetime” outlay – Where is it all going??  Is it being used the way it was intended – to change the landscape of education in DE?  Are we getting the results promised?)

DCAS Note:  The DCAS test only has 50 questions per topic; thus the idea is for a child taking the test to take approximately 60-90 minutes, give or take depending upon the child’s comfort level with computers.  40 questions are “on-grade level” and the other 10 are “off-grade level”. 

However, at this point, I’m not sure where the questions originate.  Do the teachers have input to the questions? Do the districts? Or the DDOE ONLY? Or is it the company administering the test, AIR?  I’m still investigating this aspect of DCAS, so more to come on this topic.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

BSD "Measures Up" Breakfast

It was a very informative week tracking down information about BSD results.

For today’s posting, let’s talk about the BSD breakfast on Friday morning.  Next time you hear about one of these events MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND.  It was an opportunity to hear from our district leaders and to hear their vision firsthand.  Superintendent Mark Holodick, Director of Elementary Schools Dorrell Green and Director of Secondary Schools Lincoln Hohler spoke about how BSD “Measures Up”.  Three polished and articulate speakers – they did better than some CEO’s I’ve heard in the area – plus you can hear that they are committed to their educational causes and approaching their efforts in a professional manner. 

So I didn’t “drink the kool aid” entirely.  I understand that this was a marketing campaign to entice community leaders and brag about everything that is happening in BSD.  But the fact that they have a VISION that speaks to the mission we all see posted on the stationary and in the offices of many of the schools – “EMBRACE, INSPIRE AND CHALLENGE EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY” – shows that there is a strategic level of commitment to BSD and ALL of our kids.  Moving any public education system into the top rankings of the 21st century is going to take a considerable amount of effort.

Now as parents we need to match their efforts – by educating ourselves and staying involved in the process.  Here’s what stood out for me:
  • Professionalism and customer service are keys to meeting the expectations of parents – they get that this is critical for any “business” in being successful and deemed competent to meet goals.
  • That they have goals and a vision that the Executive Team can articulate that matches my hopes as a parent for my kids, gives me some comfort. 
    • Some of the issues you hear about with other school districts and their implementation of RttT definitely concerned me as to the potential of BSD.  As a parent, I’m feeling a bit more reassured at the district level.  I now need to be able to measure that at my local school(s) and from all services providers in contact with my kids – from secretaries to bus aides to teachers to principals.  Some times I see it – but other times may be not….
  • Great marketing effort.  Clear and consistent voice of the vision.  Hearing all the great things that are happening in various corners of the district makes me as a parent optimistic that my kid(s) have a chance at learning some great stuff. 
    • Can the BSD deliver this level of service to ALL kids?!  If my kid(s) is not in one of these great programs, then what?  I need to be aware of the strengths and the weaknesses within any given school environment.  I need to hear about and see some of the “warts” in the system to know that it’s not all “fairy dust” and that the district can identify areas of weakness as well for continued growth.
  • “The rubber still has to hit the road” – what’s really happening in the classroom and within the school environments?  Once I can measure that in action and know that it matches more of the vision, then I’ll be confident as a parent that we’re on the right track 
    • See disappointments of DCAS to understand some of my skepticism – that political “boondoggle” is beginning to make my blood boil with the amount of money DDOE wasted and the opportunity lost.
  • In order for BSD to be accurately measured as to their efforts, the comparison has to be on a national or international scale.  I don’t think their efforts are comparable to other neighboring DE districts. 
    • So as a parent, I need to look outside the state and do my research there.  Maybe there are other competitive districts down state or in Dover, I’m not sure.  But I don’t think it’s Red Clay or Christina that I should be comparing BSD to.  May be Garnet Valley school district or up near Kennett Squareis a bit more realistic.  Either way, in order to keep BSD “honest” with the measure of success for its efforts, I’m looking beyond the boundaries of DE.

  • Where are the parents?  That was one of the reasons I started this Blog as I couldn’t hear or see the parent efforts in these system-changing discussions. 
    • I was disappointed at the turn out at PTA meetings as a new year started and even exasperated at the focus of the meetings knowing, just a bit, about all of the educational endeavors going on.  And PTAs/Parent Groups can’t be all about fundraising.  Where is the advocacy?  Identifying the challenges within school operations that need parent support?  Educate our groups about the issues – we tell our kids “knowledge is power”.  That doesn’t stop once you’re an adult.  Gaining knowledge and information about our educational services & systems is a life-long effort.  We as parents (and taxpayers) need to keep our school systems on the cutting edge in the 21st century and it’s not easy. It’s complicated BUT oh so necessary.  We need to KEEP OUR LEADERS HONEST AND ACCOUNTABLE to these campaigns. 

It’s going to take us as parents to find each other and the issues/concerns that will energize us – because they impact the whole system, which in a trickle down effect – my school, my classroom and teacher and thus my kid(s).

So what is “energizing” you as a parent?  Let me hear from you!  Am I alone in my opinions? The only one who has these concerns? Let me know.

DCAS Note:  I am compiling a “fact sheet” on background info on DCAS.  But here is a little nugget – With ONLY 3 other states using the company that administers DCAS (Hawaii, Minnesota and Oregon), how much of a national comparison is that? I also find it a bit ironic that all the other states are far west of the Mississippi, yet our Supreme Court currently only has representation of East Coast educational institutions.  Mmmm.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Gaining Momentum - but need to hear from you

I've been gathering emails from a variety of parent meetings I've been attending within the schools throughout the month of September as the school year has kicked off.

I have gotten some "push back" as some of the emails were part of class distribution lists.  I want to know parents and the kids in my kids' classes as much as possible -- along with the teachers and administrators. And know that they have some of the same interests and concerns about the education system as I do.  In past years, it seems as if it takes us months to connect ... and then the school year is over.  I'm hoping with this blog and parents wanting to remain on the other email distribution lists that we'll connect sooner in a positive way.

So either join this Blog's membership OR please respond back to one of the emails sent from Parentpowerrttt@gmail.com to remain in the loop.  (Especially if you were on a classroom distribution list.) 

Also, please pass this Parent Blog to other parents you know in your neighborhood, other BSD schools, etc.  The more we're connected, the more we can learn from each other.

Here's what I'm working on currently for future Blog postings:  Along with attending a BSD breakfast later in the week and a presentation on  the future of "Baby Race to the Top", I am creating a Parent FACT SHEET on the DCAS testing.  I am trying to cut through the educational jargon and outline the results of the testing from year one, what's working and what's not working from a parent point-of-view.  Look for more later and of course, share your concerns as well.