Parents not doing anything to improve neighborhood school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm also wondering what kind of involvement you're looking for. Have you/someone asked the parents to do something specific and they don't do it? Maybe they don't know where to start. I bet if someone asked a parent with fundraising experience, for example, to write a request letter for a Friends and Family campaign they'd do it in a heartbeat. Or ask someone to take the lead on sending out info or drawing up a flyer to post to encourage participation in Bike to School Day to foster community spirit. Easy. Or to bring in a special snack -- popcorn's super easy -- for a pajama day. The next level of involvement may be to have parent volunteers help out in the classroom on specific tasks. Maybe I'm too Pollyanna about this, but I think most folks don't get involved because they don't know what needs to be done.

+100

It's the lack of knowing specifically what to do, fear of stepping on toes, or doubling efforts that prevents me from getting more involved. But, if you can be specific in what you want from fellow parents. "Give $10, Attend X, etc" you might have better luck.

[Anonymous]

I think sometimes the help is just overwhelming and what has become a meeting once a month...now is a full-time tour of duty responsibility. I volunteered to bake cupcakes for an one time bake sale. Which turned into a carnival then morphed into an every tuesday bake sale and now the parents want something like Cupcake wars. I am looking for the exit.

[Anonymous]

I have a child in a Title 1 school EotP and am eager to help out in every way I can to make the school more successful than it has been in the past.

I agree with 15:27 that having a friendly and supportive administration can make or break parent efforts - in fact, that PP could be talking about our school. We have a new principal this year as well, and she has been much more receptive to the PTA than the previous principal was.

It has been helpful to me to meet with her and discuss what her priorities are for the school this year, and then to figure out ways that I and other parents can help her reach those goals. It has also been helpful to speak directly to teachers at all grade levels (not just my child's teacher) to see what their needs are. It's important to be very sensitive to the reality that most teachers are already working very hard. I try not to add to anyone's burden and try to offer as much assistance as I can. This year, I've supervised field trips, provided snacks and classroom materials (including books), organized a uniform drive and a coat drive, helped put together 3 all school events that have been well received, hosted open houses and PTA meetings and tried to improve the school's outward-facing communications.

It's not enough, obviously. You can bake hundreds of cookies and spend hours in the school every week and that's not going to counteract the degree to which some kids are well below grade level, struggle with learning and are not getting the support at home that they need to be successful at school. What I've tried to do this year is support the teachers and the new principal in certain areas so that they can focus on actually educating the students. I hope it helps.

My goal next semester is to volunteer as a reading coach for kids who need help learning how to read. Our school works with Reading Partners to do that, and getting them involved in any low performing school would probably be a good thing for the overall literacy of the student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Art and world language instruction is mandated by DCPS. High quality music and science may need to be supported by grants or PTA donations.

It may be mandated, but the quantity and quality are often inadequate in both areas.

Really? No foreign language instruction in our EW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:27 again...to do it differently, I would be sure the admin to really listened to your plans and be 100% sure they are on board before you put in the work. A big part of our problem was that the admin said sure, go ahead without realizing or paying attention to what the parents were really doing and then in the end, always lowered the axe. The parents could have been extremely clear about the details and asked the administration to do the same with approvals/rejections and that at least would have avoided work being done for nothing.

Good article focusing on these issues.

http://educationnext.org/the-elephant-in-the-classroom/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they could put in a lot of hours they don't have, and still have nothing change. What kind of effort are you looking for from them? Is the administration on board with the changes you want to see?

Yes, this.
Honestly, parental involvement doesn't make the school itself better per see. It improves the community feeling but that doesn't translate into better education or test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in a Title 1 school EotP and am eager to help out in every way I can to make the school more successful than it has been in the past.

I agree with 15:27 that having a friendly and supportive administration can make or break parent efforts - in fact, that PP could be talking about our school. We have a new principal this year as well, and she has been much more receptive to the PTA than the previous principal was.

It has been helpful to me to meet with her and discuss what her priorities are for the school this year, and then to figure out ways that I and other parents can help her reach those goals. It has also been helpful to speak directly to teachers at all grade levels (not just my child's teacher) to see what their needs are. It's important to be very sensitive to the reality that most teachers are already working very hard. I try not to add to anyone's burden and try to offer as much assistance as I can. This year, I've supervised field trips, provided snacks and classroom materials (including books), organized a uniform drive and a coat drive, helped put together 3 all school events that have been well received, hosted open houses and PTA meetings and tried to improve the school's outward-facing communications.

It's not enough, obviously. You can bake hundreds of cookies and spend hours in the school every week and that's not going to counteract the degree to which some kids are well below grade level, struggle with learning and are not getting the support at home that they need to be successful at school. What I've tried to do this year is support the teachers and the new principal in certain areas so that they can focus on actually educating the students. I hope it helps.

My goal next semester is to volunteer as a reading coach for kids who need help learning how to read. Our school works with Reading Partners to do that, and getting them involved in any low performing school would probably be a good thing for the overall literacy of the student body.

I mean the parents might get more programs put in place but overall the administration can be super supportive yet still nothing really improves.

Reading coaches, reading partners, etc. - meh, they help very marginally. Kids visit them too infrequently to make a dent in their lacking skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in a Title 1 school EotP and am eager to help out in every way I can to make the school more successful than it has been in the past.

I agree with 15:27 that having a friendly and supportive administration can make or break parent efforts - in fact, that PP could be talking about our school. We have a new principal this year as well, and she has been much more receptive to the PTA than the previous principal was.

It has been helpful to me to meet with her and discuss what her priorities are for the school this year, and then to figure out ways that I and other parents can help her reach those goals. It has also been helpful to speak directly to teachers at all grade levels (not just my child's teacher) to see what their needs are. It's important to be very sensitive to the reality that most teachers are already working very hard. I try not to add to anyone's burden and try to offer as much assistance as I can. This year, I've supervised field trips, provided snacks and classroom materials (including books), organized a uniform drive and a coat drive, helped put together 3 all school events that have been well received, hosted open houses and PTA meetings and tried to improve the school's outward-facing communications.

It's not enough, obviously. You can bake hundreds of cookies and spend hours in the school every week and that's not going to counteract the degree to which some kids are well below grade level, struggle with learning and are not getting the support at home that they need to be successful at school. What I've tried to do this year is support the teachers and the new principal in certain areas so that they can focus on actually educating the students. I hope it helps.

My goal next semester is to volunteer as a reading coach for kids who need help learning how to read. Our school works with Reading Partners to do that, and getting them involved in any low performing school would probably be a good thing for the overall literacy of the student body.

Thank you for all you do for your school. They are lucky to have you! I hope there are other parents contributing and that you are not doing it all on your own.

[Anonymous]

We live in an EOTP neighborhood with one of the better schools and are so turned off by traditional education that is mandated that we will not involve ourselves in the local school or DC's charter school. I hate to say this and its true, we focus on our child and the classroom. DC has been in 2 HRCS with administrations who clearly want the parents to be seen and not heard. Friends with kids at other public and charter schools feel the same way. So we accept the problems and hope the pluses of the school outweigh them.