Recently I attended the American Federation for Children’s policy summit in Washington, D.C. This event was an exciting, informative, two-day conference filled with panel discussions, keynote speakers such as Lisa Leslie and Mike McCurry, and networking opportunities with education reformers from all over the country. I left D.C. feeling similar[Read More…]
Tag: parental involvement
Schools shouldn’t just involve parents; they should engage them
If schools want parents and caregivers to chaperone field trips and cook hot dogs at the fall carnival, then a parental involvement plan should be their course of action. However, if schools want those same parents and caregivers to actively participate in decisions regarding their child’s success in school, then[Read More…]
In Florida, private schools double down on parental engagement
One school made a calendar for parents, with a note like this one below every month’s Bible verse: Research says … the greater the parents’ involvement, the greater the academic achievement for the student. Another organized a “scavenger hunt” for families, built around tips to help their kids succeed in school.[Read More…]
Noted researcher to study impact of public school choice program in Florida
Like other school choice programs where supply is overwhelmed by demand, the school district in Pinellas County, Fla. offers an option that causes plenty of joy and heartache. Some kids win the “fundamental school” lottery. Some kids lose. Some go on to the high-performing fundamentals, where they’re surrounded by peers[Read More…]
When teachers make home visits
by Kelly Garcia In early spring of my first year teaching at YES Prep West, a high-poverty charter school in Houston, my school director shocked me with a list. It contained the home addresses of more than 20 incoming students, and I had about three weeks to visit each one.[Read More…]
A choice conversation on public education
From redefinED host Doug Tuthill: Today we begin a new feature at redefinED – an ongoing dialogue between myself (that’s me pictured on the right) and John Wilson, who writes the Unleashed blog at Education Week. For the last 25 years, I’ve been one of Wilson’s biggest fans. I worked[Read More…]
Here’s why this charter school thrives
Editor’s note: Kelly Garcia, who is interning this summer with Step Up For Students, began teaching middle school last year in the Hillsborough school district. One of my favorite responsibilities as a teacher at the YES Prep West charter school in Houston was the requirement to take small groups of[Read More…]