Readiness Schools & Family Involvement

Family involvement in schools is a shared responsibility. Children depend on all of us to support their development everywhere our children learn - - at home, in pre-k programs, in school, in after-school programs, in faith-based institutions, and in community programs and activities. We know that families play many essential roles in student success.

The development of Readiness Schools in Massachusetts provides an opportunity to reinforce a culture of collaboration in the Commonwealth. To be successful, Readiness Schools need to build on the nine characteristics of effective schools, which include effective family and community engagement and collaboration and communication among teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

Effective parent engagement and involvement is not just a good idea, it is the law. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) details ambitious guidelines; now we must commit to more faithful implementation and enforcement.

Here in Massachusetts the Parent and Community Education and Involvement Advisory Council (PCEI) to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has worked to propose a set of six fundamentals for Family and Community engagement, which are based on National PTA's Family-School Partnership Standards. The National Standards describe six standards schools can use to plan, benchmark, and evaluate effective school, family, and community involvement policies and practices. Readiness Schools need to model these best practices for meaningful parent engagement and involvement, especially to be responsive to the family, cultural, and economic diversity of their communities.

Effective family engagement is essential regardless of parents' education level, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. Families play a critical role in children's school readiness as well as of students' decision to pursue higher education. Their role is a shared responsibility through collaboration with schools, educators, and community organizations to achieve more effective educational opportunities.

Coffee Hour

I call them "coffee hours" - opportunities for residents to meet in a relaxed setting to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about our schools with one of their elected school officials. These meetings were instituted during my campaign for School Committee. Following my election to the School Committee last March, I have been meeting on the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of July and August, ever since.

While it is true that I have my own perspectives and concerns on issues, it is an incomplete picture without the two-way communication with others of our shared community. I am truly grateful to those who take the time to meet. I have heard many important pieces of information that add to my understanding of budget and finances, special education, arts education, technology, professional development, school calendar, and more. Often, I will raise a constituent's perspective in the School Committee's "Member Concerns" portion of our meeting agenda. Other times, I am able to bring concerns forward following a presentation by the administration.

Commercialism in Schools - a Public Health Issue

As a parent, I am very concerned about the state of education in Massachusetts, especially with respect to shrinking school budgets and the narrow focus of testing in our schools.

In Massachusetts, many children attend inadequately funded and over-crowded public schools. The current emphasis on mandated standardized tests without adequate funding cuts into time for realizing any of the frameworks - and the unfortunate result is many schools have cut quality educational programming.

Meanwhile, the federal government has mandated that public schools create school wellness policies, but, at the same time, many schools are failing to actively address and promote healthy and active choices during school hours.

So, if public schools are so financially strapped, what could be the harm of a little corporate sponsorship in the schools?

Well, for one thing, there is no such thing as "a little corporate sponsorship".

Huge amounts of money and effort are invested in making kids literate in the language of consumerism, which essentially apprentices them for a lifetime of consumption.  But, just how do such promotions increase the school's educational integrity or welfare of students?

Well, they don't.

I think it more accurate to say that such practices perpetuate a subtle and pernicious endorsement from schools without competition to the sponsoring corporation. Schools that accept corporate funding or promotions are at the mercy of corporate agendas, which have yet to prove they care one iota for the health, education, or welfare of the students they purport to serve.

With respect to commercialism and its relation to school wellness policies: what message do we send children if parents and schools address healthy choices at home and in the classroom, only to have kids walk down the hall where they are offered choices for snacks and drinks that are high in calories, fat, and sugar? 

Marketing and advertising of a commercial nature should be off limits from every public school, athletic field, sport or school uniform, vending machine or cafeteria. Corporations must act more responsibly to support the integrity of school environments and the health and welfare of children.

One final point: if we are going to speak against commercialism in schools, then we must also speak for media literacy in the schools, as the two go hand-in-hand.

We are assailed by media messaging 24/7/365. Media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain, and sell to us every day; it's the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media. In our world of commercialism, globalization, multi-tasking, and interactivity, media education isn't about having the right answers - it's about asking the right questions. And it is essential, now more than ever. The result is life-long empowerment of the learner and citizen.

yes, that's what i said

It's my public life and as the posts get written and posted, it's also  my hope that readers will learn more about me, my purpose and passion for public education, and how it relates to taxes, revenue, sound policy, child advocacy, family and community engagement, and more!