JUNE 10, 2014Parents offer an earful about the ‘welcoming environment’
(Calif.) It isn’t rare to see a parent wandering around their child’s elementary school in search of an office, classroom or auditorium entrance.
But parents gathered at a forum last week in Stockton on school climate said getting help from school personnel isn’t easy. They noted that custodial and cafeteria staff was more likely to be welcoming and helpful than anyone from the school office.
That lack of a welcoming environment was often cited by parents participating in the focus group put on by Families in Schools in an effort to learn more about the barriers parents perceive around schools.
Diana Wiley, who led Friday’s discussion, said they hope to compile a list of the most pressing obstacles for parents who want to participate more in their childrens’ education and, potentially, offer some suggestions on how to fix them as well.
“We’re compiling all the recommendations and concerns, and we’re going to share that with the California Department of Education because they’re interested in creating a project to help address welcoming environments statewide,” said Wiley, the organization’s Improving Education Initiative manager.
The effort comes as school districts statewide face a July1 deadline for adopting their first Local Accountability Control Plan – a requirement under California’s new funding system that gives local authorities more control over spending decisions but also new responsibility to partner with parents and the community on those decisions.
Families in Schools, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Los Angeles, has put on similar events in the Inland Empire, Central Valley and the greater Los Angeles areas.
Parental engagement is just one of eight statewide priorities districts must now include in their LCAPs – which also call for accountability on issues such as teacher qualifications, facility Parents offer an earful about the ‘welcoming environment’ :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:
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