Reply to Parent Engagement at Gentrifying Schools

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Reply to "Parent Engagement at Gentrifying Schools - WaPo feature story"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]White PTO president here, and it was an interesting read, although, like another poster said, the article read as a promotional piece for Kindred.

It's really tough because the parents that tend to step up to help are white and/or UMC.  We flier, send text messages, emails, etc., but we rarely get new faces at our meetings or volunteering at our events.  The dad at YY walked into a room, didn't see a lot of faces that looked like his, and walked out. How is that the fault of the PTA leadership? And how would Kindred get him to stay and help?
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Kindly, did you read the article? The point is -- that your methods of engagement are literally premised on facilitating involvement of white people. If you want engagement, you have to change what you're doing.  Sending out emails and fliers then throwing up your hands is not enough.  It is absolutely your fault if you don't make more of an effort. Perhaps you don't care because you just think there's work to be done, and that what you are doing benefits everyone regardless of race.  That's not a completely wrong position. But if you are troubled by lack of engagement and think the beginning and end of your responsibility is to send out an email to the listserve -- then yeah, it is your fault.  [/quote]

Dp. I strongly disagree with this take. What are you waiting for - a printed invitation with beautiful calligraphy and a limo to bring you to the meetings? What other excuses do you have?[/quote]

I'm with the person imploring someone to read.

Part of the solution lies in how you talk to and greet people of color in  your school. Are you sharp with the teachers or principal/AP? Do you engage other parents -- out side of those you knew from playgroup -- during dropoff and pickup? Have you tried to get to  know the parents of OLDER students in the school? If a parent of color tries to step up, even something as small as buying a tshirt, do you thank thank them (anecdote from the article).

There are lots of small signals that a gentrifier parent can send and be oblivious to and it's worth stepping back and considering your own behavior. And yes, I absolutely believe that ANY new preschool parent has the burden of listening more than they talk, asking polite questions rather than busting in and trying to upend things (food, after care, PTA dues, etc) in the first month. [/quote]

I get what you are saying, and yet this idea that the white/PTA folk need to walk on eggshells seems premised in the perspective that they are intruders or guests and need to show deference?

What if there were just mutual respect as neighbors?

What if the t-shirt buyer thanked the volunteer(s) for giving time on behalf the school to design, order, store, and market the t-shirts to build community and raise money?[/quote]

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