Working to increase parental involvement through Parent University

If you check the District 150 website, it touts the Parent University as something that is "new". The fact of the matter is, Parent University has been around since 2008 and it was brought to the District by Board of Education (BOE) member Martha Ross, who had visited Parent University in other cities.

The first Parent University was held in 2009 at the Civic Center. It was well attended, as it was part of a school fair where parents registered for the upcoming school year and they also received book bags for students. The parents would attend sessions related to issues that they told the Board they were interested in seeing via a survey they filled out - before getting the book bags. 

The Distirct 150 Title 1 Director holds the purse for the Parent University, however, it is the input from parents that should drive what sessions are offered. During the Hinton Administration, Sandra Burke was the parent liason and parents were able to give input via Parent Advisory Groups that the District is required by the State to have in every Title 1 school. Each school then sends parents to the district wide Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) quarterly meetings, to help ensure that parents are involved and informed about programs and policies in the school district.

Individuals from the PAC should then be appointed to a BOE sub-committee, where input is to be given directly to the BOE via members who chair the sub-committee. The BOE members who currently co-chair the District 150 Parent Advisory Committee is Martha Ross and Lynn Costic.  As Sandra Burke is now retired, the district wide PAC meetings are now led by York Powers (who is new to the area). York is the District's Family & Community Coordinator and works under Rebecca Lindholm, who is the District's Title 1 Director. Although I sit on the District 150 Parent Advisory Committee, I have not been able to obtain any information on whether District wide PAC meetings have been held this year.

I attended the first Parent University that was held at Glen Oak Community School. There were about ten (10) parents there, along with a couple of BOE members (one of which seemed to be there mainly to take advantage of the opportunity to pass around her petition to retain her school board seat) and several teachers, who attended to teach sessions.

Marsha Dodson of Empower Parents was the speaker at that event. The Glen Oak Parent University was Mrs. Dodson's second trip to P-Town to speak to parents. Dodson was brought in from San Diego, so it is quite unfortunate that parents did not turn out to take advantage of her expertise.

At the Harrison School Parent University, Dodson gave a thirty minute keynote address and then parents were to spend the remainder of their evening participating in smaller workshops, including:

-Job Readiness (Tri-County Urban League)

-Healthy Eating (American Cancer Society)

-Emergency Preparedness (Peoria County Health Department)

-Legal Services (Prairie State Leagal Services)

-Peoria Promise (Peoria Promise Foundation)

-Housing Assistance (METEC)

-Getting College Ready for Parents (Empowering Parents)

-H.S. Curriculum Fair (Dist. 150)

-Reading Strategies (Dist. 150)

-Testing and Assessments (Dist. 150)

-Gifted Programs (Dist. 150)

-Compass Learning (Dist. 150)

-Primary Math Strategies (Dist. 150)

-Middle School Math Strategies (Dist. 150)

-High School Math Strategies (Dist. 150)

To learn that only five (5) parents came out to the Parent University is unfortunate, because there is some expense in putting these things on. It is also unfortunate that the Parent University seems to have gotten away from the issues that parents revealed in survey that they were most interested in learning about. The photo from the District website, seems to indicate that only one (1) parent showed up for the session that Dodson gave on "Getting College Ready for Parents."

A few of the issues that parents previously indicated they were interested in: how to advocate for your child; how to best communicate with teachers; dealing with issues of bullying; getting teachers involved in parent activities; utilizing parent resource centers and working on computers in resource areas; or support meetings to help parents cope with the “teenage” years, etc.

There are three (3) hubs where Parent Universities are being conducted: Glen Oak Community Learning Center, Harrison Community Learning Center, and Northmoor Primary School. What parents want to see will vary from hub to hub. Surveying parents on their needs most certainly have an impact on turn out. It will be interesting to see what level of workshops will be available to parents who attend the sessions at the Northmoor Primary School hub.

Cell phone use in schools

Wanting to reach out to your child during the course of the day to make sure they are okay is understandable. I often wish I could text my children to check on them while they are at school - but it is against the rules. Unfortunately, it is a reflection on the fact that parents don't feel their children are safe at school.

The District 150 Parent Advisory Committee is currently working on a new cell phone policy. If mass texts are going out between students about anything during class - it is a distraction and potentially dangerous. Perhaps there should there be a certain time of day that students can make calls - what do you think?

This recent comment illustrates why the cell phone policy is needing to be reinforced...

Anonymous said...

The other day, I overheard PHS students talking about texts they were getting from RHS students about the fights going on at RHS. RHS staff member told me there were seven girls involved in two fights that day. I texted my daughter to ensure she was ok. She said that she was..."

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment from this Anonymous blogger...

Anonymous, I noticed in your comment that you said your daughter texted a student and you a teacher, also texted a student. You and your daughter both violated school policy. This is one of the things that is extremely out of control in the schools. Parents are continually texting or calling students while they are in class, students are contacting parents or other students. We are talking about hundreds of phone use each day. The rules are phones are to be off and out of sight. How can teachers even teach with this going on. This also keeps problems between the students alive and has anyone thought about the drug deals being made on these phones during school hours with the students. Cell phones need to be completely banned from all the schools and suspended if the student doesn't abide by the rule.

District 150 working to increase parental involvement

I like how District 150 appears to be upping parental involvement efforts. The success of 1000 Remarkable Guys is a wonderful achievement and was really cute to witness.

Another very cool thing I have noticed about District 150 on the parental involvement front, is the addition of Sandra Burke as a School, Family and Community Liaison/Coordinator.

Sandra serves as a resource for parents that have questions or who might need to be directed to the appropriate sources for information. Information will be shared through the District web site or a parent can contact Sandra here.

Additionally, Sandra will be working with school PTO's and Parent Advisory Committees who will have representatives that meet with her quarterly. By joining a school's PTO, or sitting on a Parent Advisory Committee, parents can have direct input in District 150 schools.

Hmmm... let me see - 1000 Remarkable Guys, PTO, Parent Advisory Committees - just three more ways to put up, or ...

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