Title 1 Schools - Parental Involvement

[Anonymous]

Someone on the EOTP entitlement thread (which has completely devolved at this point) asked how parents can get engaged in high-poverty schools in a way that can make positive change and engage the low-income parents who are there. I have no idea how others at my child's EOTP community-eligibility FARM school perceive me (I certainly hope it's not entitled), but here is how I approach it.

The school my child attends is my neighborhood school and is high poverty and largely ELL (though not dual language). I volunteer for the school in a variety of ways--I am on the PTO, help run open houses, chaperone field trips, and generally ask what I can do to help the school and my child's teachers. I think the main thing, though, that I do to get involved is to get to know the other parents and kids. I know all the kids in my daughter's classroom and stay for a while each morning while they eat breakfast to chat with them. I also know most of the parents, the majority of whom speak Spanish--my Spanish is far from perfect, but it really helps to make an effort to communicate in the language that they are most comfortable in. I don't do this as part of any grand plan, but rather so that my daughter and I feel a part of the community. Ultimately, it does not matter to me that most of the families have very different backgrounds from my own; we all have children who attend the school, and that is enough to bring us together.

Do I wish there were no screen time and more healthful breakfast options? Yes. But that is not what I am talking about with the administration, families, and kids at the school. Instead, I am focused on building trust with all families and creating a real community where people all feel welcome, even though ostensibly there are many differences among us.

I'm curious how others on DCUM who are at Title 1 schools approach parental involvement and community-building.

[Anonymous]

I've been down that road. For several years, I took off work, left work and volunteered, organized and ran programs, with the support of a few teachers and a few parents along with occasional admin support. It is a daunting and exhausting task.

The things that worked best when it came to parental involvement were having activities like awards programs at night so working parents (which was most) could come. Fundraisers, had to be simple (a fall festival at the school, which did get parent volunteers). We also had a successful fundraiser that was largely supported by community members ('gentrifying' neighborhood) and a few business partners. Free activities also help with community building, but you need sponsors for them.

Does your school have a website and listserv? What about a newsletter? Things that promote open lines of communication can be very helpful.

A parent organization seemed like a good idea, but that's when things really started to fall apart- too many chiefs, and unfortunately some who didn't have the skill set for the positions they volunteered for. I think in the start, a more 'loosely organized' group with simple goals would have been better initially. Everybody suggest some activities and see which have the most traction and go from there...

Eventually my husband and I decided it was time to move on, and placed our children in fantastic charter schools, but I truly wish things had worked out differently. I wish you well.

[Anonymous]

I am at the beginning of this process as my DD2 will likely attend our neighborhood Title I this fall. Looking forward to hearing more from those of you with experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been down that road. For several years, I took off work, left work and volunteered, organized and ran programs, with the support of a few teachers and a few parents along with occasional admin support. It is a daunting and exhausting task.

The things that worked best when it came to parental involvement were having activities like awards programs at night so working parents (which was most) could come. Fundraisers, had to be simple (a fall festival at the school, which did get parent volunteers). We also had a successful fundraiser that was largely supported by community members ('gentrifying' neighborhood) and a few business partners. Free activities also help with community building, but you need sponsors for them.

Does your school have a website and listserv? What about a newsletter? Things that promote open lines of communication can be very helpful.

A parent organization seemed like a good idea, but that's when things really started to fall apart- too many chiefs, and unfortunately some who didn't have the skill set for the positions they volunteered for. I think in the start, a more 'loosely organized' group with simple goals would have been better initially. Everybody suggest some activities and see which have the most traction and go from there...

Eventually my husband and I decided it was time to move on, and placed our children in fantastic charter schools, but I truly wish things had worked out differently. I wish you well.

OP here, thanks for your response! We have done some fundraising this year in the PTO, but most of our focus has been on community-building. The old PTO (under different leadership) was much more top-down, and as a result didn't have families, teachers, and administrators attend; the new PTO leadership is trying to get more families to come to meetings, so they've focused on bringing in external speakers, engaging teachers and the administration in the meetings, and such. They also offer free babysitting so it is easier for parents to attend. But over time, I think naturally the PTO will begin to engage in more fundraising. The school has a lot of extra $ coming in from things like being title 1, having lots of high-risk kids, etc., so there is not as much pressure to fundraise as at some of the wealthier schools.

I am very lucky that I have a flexible job and a two-parent household, so that I can more easily take time off for things like attending an open house, chaperoning field trips, and doing after-work events like PTO meetings and such. Thus, though I definitely give a good amount of my time to the school, I don't feel overwhelmed by it; essentially, I have replaced the volunteer work I used to do before my child went to public school with volunteer work for the school, and it does not feel hard. And I am far from the only parent who volunteers--the PTO president does a ton, and a bunch of the families have helped on a day-to-day basis and with specific projects.

The thing that being involved in the school and engaging with the kids and parents gives me is a feeling like my family is really a part of the community, rather than the "gentrifier" coming in and trying to "save" the school. The school is great--obviously not without its challenges, but we wouldn't send our daughter there if we didn't think it was a place that she would do well. That is not to say that there aren't changed we would like to see--but I see those as requiring buy-in from the whole community and happening slowly over time.

[Anonymous]

The money a school gets from Title I can pale in comparison to the money a rich school gets through its PTA. Look at some of the PTAs in Ward 3 schools and what they can afford--a full-time aide in every class, a science room with a dedicated teacher, etc. Community-building is great and can help you identify what a school's goals for fundraising are, but after that comes the fundraising. Could there be a free summer program for enrolled kids, maybe for the last 2 weeks of summer (incentive to enroll early, and a good way to help "summer brain drain")? Saturday school with remediation and also sections to move kids proficient and advanced? Better before and after care? Field trips? Special treats for kids who meet academic or behavioral goals? Social worker for the most at-risk families? ESL or other programs for parents, with free and enriching child care? Guidance counselors to help 4th and 5th graders choose and apply to the best schools for them? There is a LOT a school can do with funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The money a school gets from Title I can pale in comparison to the money a rich school gets through its PTA. Look at some of the PTAs in Ward 3 schools and what they can afford--a full-time aide in every class, a science room with a dedicated teacher, etc. Community-building is great and can help you identify what a school's goals for fundraising are, but after that comes the fundraising. Could there be a free summer program for enrolled kids, maybe for the last 2 weeks of summer (incentive to enroll early, and a good way to help "summer brain drain")? Saturday school with remediation and also sections to move kids proficient and advanced? Better before and after care? Field trips? Special treats for kids who meet academic or behavioral goals? Social worker for the most at-risk families? ESL or other programs for parents, with free and enriching child care? Guidance counselors to help 4th and 5th graders choose and apply to the best schools for them? There is a LOT a school can do with funding.

The school has three sources of external funds, only one of which is title 1. It also has I believe four guidance counselors/psychologists, so that's not an issue. The guidance department does put on sessions on things like the best way to communicate with your kids and such, and I've attended them and see lots of parents there. There are a lot of external groups that come in and support the kids and teachers through special programs. Our school may be largely low-income, but it does not mean that parents do not care about their kids, don't support them with their homework, or don't volunteer or get engaged with the school in and out of class.

The fact is that we are not set up to do a lot of fundraising. That's not what our forte is, and it's not where parents and administrators are going to put our effort into. Other schools that are more equipped to do that will, but it's not our focus.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you're on the right path. Asking what people need before making suggestions. I say that as someone in a similar situation.

[Anonymous]

I am on the PTO at an EOTP school. Title 1, large percentage of ELL folks. I suspect that the OP of this thread is at my school, and all the things she describes are definitely what we are doing. I've worked with our school's version of an instructional coach to survey parents in various contexts to see what they want. Leaving questions open ended and leaving a lot of time for people to talk about whatever they want has been helpful. There were concerns about aftercare, so we invited the person who runs aftercare to the meeting and let him talk and answer questions until everyone at the meeting was satisfied with what they were being told. Then we opened the floor for more questions, which led to more discussion. I very much see my job in the PTO as being as responsive as possible and listening more than I talk. I feel pretty strongly that building trust takes time and cannot happen by rushing in demanding and insisting and being appalled and horrified and whatever else people on the other thread were about whatever was happening over there. I try to remember that people who have been at the school longer than me have concerns that I may not know anything about. They may also share my concerns, but it's important to let everyone talk. I do not want to suck all the air out of the room, as I have seen people do in the past (not just new parents either - some long-term parents as well).

As for fundraising, I think the PP is seriously out of touch. Our PTO asks for a very small donation at the start of the year. It's not per child, though I would like it to be. We have very specific, targeted fundraisers - this field trip, that all-school activity. The money that the Ward 3 schools bring in is astonishing to me. One person's per child donation at Janney is pretty close to what our PTO has in the bank right now. Our community is very low income and while I do believe that not enough efforts have been made in the past to figure out what donation level would be sustainable, I cannot imagine requiring the kind of money that seems normal in Ward 3. Suggesting that a high poverty school take a page out of the fundraising book from Ward 3 schools seems really out of touch to me. I'm sure you meant it kindly, so thank you, and thanks for the rest of your post. Some of those things are definitely things we've discussed.

[Anonymous]

I find it helps me to have an outlet at the school for my Type A self. With other parents and in meetings, I try to be super mellow and a good listener and all that. It doesn't come naturally to me! So I have also taken on writing a few grants to get money from companies. That's more suited to my personality because it doesn't require any big meetings and group dynamics, just a little bit of email with teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the PTO at an EOTP school. Title 1, large percentage of ELL folks. I suspect that the OP of this thread is at my school, and all the things she describes are definitely what we are doing. I've worked with our school's version of an instructional coach to survey parents in various contexts to see what they want. Leaving questions open ended and leaving a lot of time for people to talk about whatever they want has been helpful. There were concerns about aftercare, so we invited the person who runs aftercare to the meeting and let him talk and answer questions until everyone at the meeting was satisfied with what they were being told. Then we opened the floor for more questions, which led to more discussion. I very much see my job in the PTO as being as responsive as possible and listening more than I talk. I feel pretty strongly that building trust takes time and cannot happen by rushing in demanding and insisting and being appalled and horrified and whatever else people on the other thread were about whatever was happening over there. I try to remember that people who have been at the school longer than me have concerns that I may not know anything about. They may also share my concerns, but it's important to let everyone talk. I do not want to suck all the air out of the room, as I have seen people do in the past (not just new parents either - some long-term parents as well).

As for fundraising, I think the PP is seriously out of touch. Our PTO asks for a very small donation at the start of the year. It's not per child, though I would like it to be. We have very specific, targeted fundraisers - this field trip, that all-school activity. The money that the Ward 3 schools bring in is astonishing to me. One person's per child donation at Janney is pretty close to what our PTO has in the bank right now. Our community is very low income and while I do believe that not enough efforts have been made in the past to figure out what donation level would be sustainable, I cannot imagine requiring the kind of money that seems normal in Ward 3. Suggesting that a high poverty school take a page out of the fundraising book from Ward 3 schools seems really out of touch to me. I'm sure you meant it kindly, so thank you, and thanks for the rest of your post. Some of those things are definitely things we've discussed.

Knowing your limitations is important, but don't overlook the value of fundraising. If the parents are unable to provide income themselves, are there some parents who can solicit their employers to donate? What are the neighborhood businesses that can contribute? Local banks? I once worked at a school in a low income neighborhood with a limousine company located nearby. We were able to get the limousine company to provide rides to school for the students of the month. It didn't add any resources but it built up the esteem of the students who were doing the right thing. If you have a newsletter, website, facebook page, twitter account and a connection to neighborhood listservs you can promote all businesses who are willing to support the school in a variety of capacities. Perhaps a local business is willing to set up a donation bucket or do something the we see in stores for the March of Dimes-- donate a dollar, sign your name to a cutout of a school, and post it in the store. Make sure every teacher has a donors choose page for wish list items. Have a "giving drive" and see if parents can get their friends to donate small amounts ($10 or so) to the school. Local churches are also often willing to donate resources (paper, supplies, volunteer hours at a fundraiser. Is there a pizza shop nearby that will donate some pizzas that you can sell for a $1 a slice? Start small and go from there. My child attended a school that tried the 'Ward 3' fundraiser approach. It failed miserably. The simple stuff worked much better.

[Anonymous]

Great ideas PP.

I have found it helps to reality-check my fellow modestly affluent parents about how much money parents in Ward 3 schools generally contribute. Many in our neighborhood were simply unaware of what is happening at other schools. They won't give an equal amount, but it will put it in perspective and help them motivate to give more than they otherwise would. That and a clear wishlist from their own kids' teachers about specific items, really helped them see the light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am on the PTO at an EOTP school. Title 1, large percentage of ELL folks. I suspect that the OP of this thread is at my school, and all the things she describes are definitely what we are doing. I've worked with our school's version of an instructional coach to survey parents in various contexts to see what they want. Leaving questions open ended and leaving a lot of time for people to talk about whatever they want has been helpful. There were concerns about aftercare, so we invited the person who runs aftercare to the meeting and let him talk and answer questions until everyone at the meeting was satisfied with what they were being told. Then we opened the floor for more questions, which led to more discussion. I very much see my job in the PTO as being as responsive as possible and listening more than I talk. I feel pretty strongly that building trust takes time and cannot happen by rushing in demanding and insisting and being appalled and horrified and whatever else people on the other thread were about whatever was happening over there. I try to remember that people who have been at the school longer than me have concerns that I may not know anything about. They may also share my concerns, but it's important to let everyone talk. I do not want to suck all the air out of the room, as I have seen people do in the past (not just new parents either - some long-term parents as well).

As for fundraising, I think the PP is seriously out of touch. Our PTO asks for a very small donation at the start of the year. It's not per child, though I would like it to be. We have very specific, targeted fundraisers - this field trip, that all-school activity. The money that the Ward 3 schools bring in is astonishing to me. One person's per child donation at Janney is pretty close to what our PTO has in the bank right now. Our community is very low income and while I do believe that not enough efforts have been made in the past to figure out what donation level would be sustainable, I cannot imagine requiring the kind of money that seems normal in Ward 3. Suggesting that a high poverty school take a page out of the fundraising book from Ward 3 schools seems really out of touch to me. I'm sure you meant it kindly, so thank you, and thanks for the rest of your post. Some of those things are definitely things we've discussed.

Knowing your limitations is important, but don't overlook the value of fundraising. If the parents are unable to provide income themselves, are there some parents who can solicit their employers to donate? What are the neighborhood businesses that can contribute? Local banks? I once worked at a school in a low income neighborhood with a limousine company located nearby. We were able to get the limousine company to provide rides to school for the students of the month. It didn't add any resources but it built up the esteem of the students who were doing the right thing. If you have a newsletter, website, facebook page, twitter account and a connection to neighborhood listservs you can promote all businesses who are willing to support the school in a variety of capacities. Perhaps a local business is willing to set up a donation bucket or do something the we see in stores for the March of Dimes-- donate a dollar, sign your name to a cutout of a school, and post it in the store. Make sure every teacher has a donors choose page for wish list items. Have a "giving drive" and see if parents can get their friends to donate small amounts ($10 or so) to the school. Local churches are also often willing to donate resources (paper, supplies, volunteer hours at a fundraiser. Is there a pizza shop nearby that will donate some pizzas that you can sell for a $1 a slice? Start small and go from there. My child attended a school that tried the 'Ward 3' fundraiser approach. It failed miserably. The simple stuff worked much better.

OP here (who is definitely at the school as PTO president PP). These are great ideas, thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it helps me to have an outlet at the school for my Type A self. With other parents and in meetings, I try to be super mellow and a good listener and all that. It doesn't come naturally to me! So I have also taken on writing a few grants to get money from companies. That's more suited to my personality because it doesn't require any big meetings and group dynamics, just a little bit of email with teachers.

This is very self-aware and I commend you for it. So many people I have interacted with don't realize how their hard-charging personality, while well-intended, comes off as over-bearing and controlling. Recognizing that in yourself, and trying to put yourself in situations where it won't come out (or will be helpful when it does), is very impressive and says a lot about you as a person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it helps me to have an outlet at the school for my Type A self. With other parents and in meetings, I try to be super mellow and a good listener and all that. It doesn't come naturally to me! So I have also taken on writing a few grants to get money from companies. That's more suited to my personality because it doesn't require any big meetings and group dynamics, just a little bit of email with teachers.

This is very self-aware and I commend you for it. So many people I have interacted with don't realize how their hard-charging personality, while well-intended, comes off as over-bearing and controlling. Recognizing that in yourself, and trying to put yourself in situations where it won't come out (or will be helpful when it does), is very impressive and says a lot about you as a person.

Aww thanks! It was actually some very good advice given to me as a college student, when I moved from the northeast to DC.

[Anonymous]

It's the parents, not their donations, that yield high-performing students