Bullying

Bullying is a serious issue that for too long had gone unchallenged, with parents, who are often unaware of the bullying problem, neglecting to talk about it with their children; with students, feeling that adult intervention is infrequent and ineffective and will only bring more harassment from bullies; and with school personnel, viewing bullying as a harmless rite of passage that is best ignored.  

The Lexington School Committee and the LPS administration are committed to supporting policies and programs that address the prevention, intervention, and elimination of bullying.  The legislation that was swiftly enacted last year in Massachusetts was a good start.  However, we know we need a multi-pronged approach to change acculturated behaviors.  I believe thoughtful guidelines for parental notification along with resources so vital for training and prevention in schools and communities will go a long way to change that dynamic--and I sincerely hope it does.

Family Engagement & Involvement

Studies document that, regardless of the economic, ethnic, or cultural background, an adult engaged in a child's education is a major factor in determining a child's success in school. Family involvement also contributes to other positive outcomes, such as better school attendance, improved homework completion rates, decreased violence and substance abuse, and higher graduation rates.

Family engagement programs that are well structured result in consistent family participation, rather than attendance at a onetime event, such as a parent-teacher conference or an annual back-to-school night. Families must be engaged in substantive tasks, such as school restructuring and setting higher learning standards.

Barriers to family involvement, such as no time off from work allowed, scheduling conflicts, lack of transportation, lack of child care, and language and cultural differences, must be removed.

An Army of Advocates

Even before the financial crisis of 2008, many of our children were attending inadequately funded and over-crowded schools.  These days, local budgets are stressed like never before and city and town leaders are faced with impossible choices for public education, public health, and public safety.  

Silent Auctions, Spring Fairs, and the like are great community-building events that also raise money to shore up some budget shortfalls, but they can only go so far.  Raising funds to cover operational and capital expenses (like teacher salaries, essential technologies, new school buildings, and important curricular offerings), requires decisions that are made at the state and federal level of government.  To effect the change at that level requires an army of advocates.

PTA has been training advocates longer than anyone - over 100 years!  They have the tools necessary to amplify our voice at the local, state, and federal level.  There are many opportunities to increase your advocacy skills, including: 

• State PTA-sponsored workshops and conferences offered at various times throughout the year;
• E-learning online at www.pta.org;
• DVDs to take you through the steps of identifying a problem and putting together a plan;
• Scheduled conference calls and webinars, based on your interest areas
 

Join the PTA movement.  Get connected to opportunities to advocate for what you are most passionate about.  Whether it's public education funding, healthy food choices in school cafeterias, increased arts education programming, or something else altogether, PTA offers many options to become a better advocate for your child and for all children.  Download Statewide Cranberry PTA Membership Form.

Title I

A high quality basic education is essential to student competency and schools should be held accountable for ensuring that all children succeed.

The intent of ESEA/NCLB is to help children of low-income families receive a high-quality education equal to their economically-advantaged peers. Concern remains, however, about the law relying too heavily on testing as the primary measure of accountability, without looking at other important indicators that help assess school performance, such as equity of resources, physical infrastructure, class size, instructional methods, and parent involvement.

It is imperative that parents know exactly why their child's school is failing, what the state is doing about it, and what parents' options are - all in a very clear and understandable manner. The law in its current form does not give explicit instructions to the state or local education agency (SEA or LEA) regarding how and when the parents should be involved. Moreover, there is no unified, consistent method for an LEA to keep their parents notified of how their child's school is doing and what actions the school is taking to become proficient under the current law.

Leading researchers, expert practitioners, and advocates define family engagement in education as: a shared responsibility of families and schools for student success, in which schools and community-based organizations are committed to reaching out to engage families in meaningful ways and families are committed to actively supporting their children's learning and development. This shared responsibility is continuous from birth through young adulthood and reinforces learning that takes place in the home, school, and community.

Parent involvement policies, improved targeting resources to students and schools most in need, and increased authorization of funds for Title I programs must be strengthened.

Student Achievement

Rising problems with poor nutrition and physical inactivity - and the resulting weight and health problems - weaken student academic achievement. This can cost school districts millions of dollars each year.

As schools search for solutions to meet performance outcomes and minimize budget cuts, it is critical that they don't further aggravate problems of poor nutrition and inactive lifestyles, thus undermining their overall goal of providing a high-quality education for all students.

Instead, providing healthful food options and increasing students' physical activity can help schools meet academic performance goals and improve the financial bottom line for schools and communities.

The "A" Word

Much of the current debate surrounding education reform forsakes a pedagogical agenda and the political morass obscures the merits of a free and appropriate public education.

Meanwhile, our economic climate has yet to stabilize and the fate of our children's education dangles precipitously. One million Massachusetts public school children cannot wait for the political dust to settle, they need us to speak up for their needs - now.

National education policy has typically been crafted around the expectation that schools alone can offset the full impact of low socioeconomic status on learning. Schools can (and have) ameliorated some of the impact of social and economic disadvantage on achievement. Improving our schools, therefore, continues to be a vitally important strategy for promoting upward mobility and for working toward educational excellence and equity. The difference now is that we all recognize that schools can't do this work alone.

Partnering with families and communities is integral to children's success in school - and in life. We need to support children's learning everywhere our children learn: at home, in preschool programs, in school, in before- and after-school opportunities, in recreation programs throughout the year including summer, and in faith-based and community sponsored opportunities.

Advocacy on this issue can take many forms. Certainly decision-makers at every level need to hear from an engaged constituency. Advocacy is like an ever-flowing river - one that you may step into at any place and at any time. And whether you choose to dip your toe in at the edge of the calm shore or wade all the way into the deep, your presence has changed the course. We won't gain ground if we choose to omit our voice in the schools, in Town or city government, or the Statehouse. It's important to learn the vocabulary - - and to create our own.

To Local Parent Leaders

Having been a PTA President at Harrington Elementary School for three years, I know how hard local leaders have worked all year; I also know they will be working all summer to plan for the 2010-2011 school year!  As hard as it can be, I urge local leaders to take advantage of precious, unscheduled time in July and August - - it is as vital for adults as it is for our children.

Following this post, I take a (brief) hiatus for the month of July.  A new round of posts resumes in August.

Happy summer - safe travels.