Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":








Schools in Chicago & Colorado Making It VERY Difficult For Parents To “Opt-Out”

It appears that some schools are making it very difficult for parents to “opt-out” of standardized testing for their child. I’m not sure if this attitude is the best one to take to further parent engagement…. Read about what’s happening in Colorado and in Chicago. I’m adding this info to The Best Posts On Parents “Opting-Out” Of Standardized Tests For Their Children.


MAR 09

I’ll Be A Guest On This Wednesday’s #PTchat On Twitter
I’ll be a guest on this Wednesday’s #PTchat on Twitter. We’ll be discussing the difference between parent engagement and parent involvement. Hope you can join us!

MAR 08

“N.J. Lawmaker Wants Parent Involvement Included in Teachers’ Reviews”
Last week, I wrote about a Well-Intentioned, But Odd & Unworkable Effort To Incorporate Parent Involvement In New Jersey Teacher Evaluations. Now, Education Week has written a piece on the same issue titled N.J. Lawmaker Wants Parent Involvement Included in Teachers’ Reviews. Here’s a short excerpt that describe its possible impact: It isn’t clear how (or whether) this information would affect

MAR 07

New York City Mayor: “The day of drive-by parent-teacher conferences…is over”
New York City schools continue making dramatic changes in making parent engagement a priority. Here’s how a new article, De Blasio woos parent bloggers, begins: Mayor Bill de Blasio told a group of parent bloggers at City Hall on Friday that communication between schools and families is a top priority of his administration, echoing the message of his schools chancellor Carmen Fariña. Fariña has ma
Surprise, Surprise — Study Finds That Positive Parenting Promotes Adolescent Brain Development
Daniel Willingham recently sent a tweet about a new study titled Positive parenting predicts the development of adolescent brain structure: A longitudinal study. It found that: Parenting interventions may promote healthy adolescent brain development….In conclusion, we have found, for the first time, longitudinal effects of positive parenting on structural development of the brain during adolescenc
This Is Why St. Paul Is A National Model Of Parent Engagement
I’ve previously posted about why what’s happening in St. Paul, Minnesota is a national model of parent engagement. Check out this latest article from the Pioneer Press, titled St. Paul parents hope to keep momentum after teachers contract deal, to learn why I say that… Here’s how the article starts: When a teachers strike loomed last month in the St. Paul Public Schools district, parents joined fo

MAR 06

“Most States Lack Opt-Out Policies – But Parents Find A Way”
Most States Lack Opt-Out Policies – But Parents Find A Way is a very interesting and useful post by Alexander Russo. The post gives a very good overview of state laws on “opting out” of standardized tests. I’m adding it to The Best Posts On Parents “Opting-Out” Of Standardized Tests For Their Children.
“Sign-Up Genius” Could Be A Helpful Parent Volunteer Tool
Bill Ferriter sent a tweet out about a site called Sign-Up Genius. It looks like a very easy tool to use to have volunteers sign-up for just about anything, including volunteering at school. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Using Technology To Help Engage Parents.
Video: “Cleveland Administrator Launches College Tours for Parents”
Cleveland Administrator Launches College Tours for Parents is the title of a pretty interesting Education Week article. It describes the work of the leader of parent engagement for the Cleveland school district. Here’s an excerpt: Among the administrator’s most successful parent-engagement undertakings are the Parent University College Tours, which provides parents a much-needed firsthand look at