Parents Who Know More Can Expect More from Their Schools; New Tool Suggests 12 Things Parents Should Expect From Schools, Themselves 8/20/2003
From: Erin Angell of KSA-Plus Communications, 703-528-7100, ext. 101; e-mail: erin@ksaplus.com ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 20 -- With back-to-school rapidly approaching, parents have a new tool to help them work more effectively with their child's school. Parent Leadership Associates (PLA) released "12 Things Every Parent Should Know and Expect Of Their Child's Schools" to help parents better understand the importance of their involvement and the four main ways that they can be involved: as teacher, supporter, advocate and decision-maker. "We've found that when parents are empowered to expect more, they get more," said Adam Kernan-Schloss, co-founder of Parent Leadership Associates. Some of the advice in the brief guide includes: -- As a valuable partner in the education of your child, you should always be treated with respect by teachers and principals. "The educators are hired to work for you and your children and not the other way around." -- Schools should be able to answer your important questions, such as how do I know my child is safe? What will the school do to help if my child is behind? How can I help? What are my options? -- You should be told clearly about how your child's school is doing -- and what it takes to apply for college. -- Schools should clearly communicate their standards in each grade so you see what your children are expected to know and be able to do from grade to grade. -- You should be told about the school's behavior and discipline standards. PLA believes, and research has consistently shown, that parent involvement has a direct impact on increasing student achievement. Teachers overwhelmingly agree; a recent survey by Public Agenda cited teachers as saying that "without involved parents, it is very hard for a student to succeed in school." (Public Agenda, Stand by Me) "Under No Child Left Behind, parents have more power than they ever have before," said Kernan-Schloss. "At PLA we want to give parents the tools they need to harness this new power as well as become more effective education advocates for their children, which is why we have created online tools like this for parents to use." Parent Leadership Associates was formed in August 2000 when KSA-Plus Communications, the nation's leading education communications firm, and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a Kentucky-based advocacy group that hosts acclaimed parent leadership institutes, joined together to engage parents to become more effective champions for improved schools. In addition to the "12 Things" guide, PLA offers: -- Guidance to help parents use data to spur more effective efforts to close the achievement gap -- Workshops to help bridge communication gaps between parents and teachers -- Consulting focused on connecting parent leaders to school improvement -- Research that documents the case for parent leadership, and many other tools and resources For more information about Parent Leadership Associates and to download the 12 expectations, visit http://www.plassociates.org. |