Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, August 30, 2014

8-30-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

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




“Fla. School Board Candidate: Allow Some Parents With Criminal Pasts to Volunteer”
Fla. School Board Candidate: Allow Some Parents With Criminal Pasts to Volunteer is the title of a blog post over at Ed Week. Here’s how it begins: A candidate vying for a seat on the Pinellas County School Board in Largo, Fla., this November wants principals to have more control over how the district’s policy that bars most parents with criminal records from volunteering at schools is implemented

This Is Interesting: Parents Help Decide Curriculum & Hire Teachers At Pennsylvania School
State College’s Delta Program middle school off to busy start is the headline of an article about a middle school in Pennsylvania begun by a local district to reduce loss of students to charters. Here’s an excerpt: Delta Director Jon Downs said the alternative program for State College middle school students — the complement to the established secondary school — operates on a democratic model wher
“Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school”
Teacher home visits are certainly in the news these days! Here’s the latest article about what’s going on in Tulsa: Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school. Here’s the final sentence in the story: “We’re really trying to focus on family engagement, not just involvement,” Velez said. “We really are trying to let them know how they can keep learning going at home.”
“How to Get Kids to Class: To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services”
How to Get Kids to Class: To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services is the headline of an op-ed in The New York Times by the president of Communities in Schools. Here’s the last paragraph: Putting social workers in schools is a low-cost way of avoiding bigger problems down the road, analogous to having a social worker in a hospital emergency room. It’s a common-sense solution that will
Nice Piece For Parents: “12 ways to identify a good school”
Jay Mathews has just published a nice post in The Washington Post titled 12 Ways To Identify A Good School. Here’s how it begins: Fourteen years ago, I wrote a Washington Post magazine piece about a young couple seeking a school for their daughter, including 12 things to look for in a good school. The article survives online. Parents still ask me if I would change any of those recommendations. I w
Infographic: “Connecting With Parents – Tips & Tricks For Smooth Sailing”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools:

AUG 23

Health Center Planned At Sacramento School
Community health center planned for Sacramento’s Johnson High is the headline of an article in the Sacramento Bee. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mention any kind of parent involvement in the effort, though it does mention the possibility of starting up a similar project at the high school where I teach. If that happens, I guarantee that parents will be engaged in the conversation — neither our princip
Parent Revolution Throws A Fit
I’ve written many posts about the destructive impact the organization Parent Revolution can have on schools, teachers, students and their families. Their march of destruction continues as they are now threatening to sue the Los Angeles school district if they don’t allow the use of the “parent trigger” (see One Good Thing Comes Out Of Ill-Conceived CA District NCLB Waiver: LAUSD Not Subject To Par
Charlotte Schools Say Undocumented Parents Can’t Volunteer In Schools — For Now, At Least
Here’s how the article, Solutions elude CMS on undocumented volunteers, in the Charlotte Observer begins: A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools team assigned to find a way undocumented immigrant parents can volunteer in schools is running short on time and even shorter on potential solutions to the hot-button issue. The team’s final meeting is Tuesday, and it has yet to find a quick, easily affordable f
Newark District Continues To Be Model For How NOT To Treat Parents
I’ve written so much about the ongoing disaster in Newark for parents and their children. Here’s the latest — a post from Bob Braun titled Cami’s Newark enrollment plan collapses in the heat, with these being the first two paragraphs: The implementation of the deeply flawed “One Newark” student-dispersal program all but collapsed Thursday as the state administration’s highly paid bureaucrats kept
Excellent Article About Teachers Making Home Visits In Helena, Montana
Educators find visiting students outside the classroom increases attendance, parent involvement is a really nice article, with photos, about teachers making home visits in Helena, Montana. You might also be interested in The Best Resources For Learning About Teacher Home Visits,

AUG 20

Nice Post About A Teaching Making A Home Visit
Geniene Delahunty writes a nice post describing a visit she made to a student family’s home. It’s worth checking out….