Nominate Your Peers for a 2015 Bammy Award

May 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

CelebratewhatsrrightNominations are now open for the 2015 Bammy Awards, which are organized by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International and seek to recognize the outstanding contributions made by those working in and around education.

Every day, great work is being done in schools by teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students, but unfortunately, much of this is unknown to the general public. The Bammy Awards program was created to showcase the unsung contributions, collaborative spirit and exceptional role models that represent the best elements of American education. National PTA is pleased to support the awards program as the association believes it is essential to spotlight and recognize the exceptional commitment, extraordinary contributions and innovative collaborations among educators, families and communities across the nation.

Through the awards program, everyone is invited to nominate, vote for and publically share stories – in 36 categories, including Parent Group Leader – of the great things happening in their school communities. We all know amazing teachers, principals, superintendents, school nurses, engaged parents, school librarians, school custodians and caring school staff. We encourage you to take a moment to nominate deserving individuals and help shine a light on the great work being done in education.

In addition to supporting the Bammy Awards, National PTA has designated May 4-8, 2015 Teacher Appreciation Week to honor and celebrate teachers and important contributions they make to ensure every child succeeds and reaches his/her full potential. Teacher Appreciation Week is the perfect time to recognize teachers who are making a difference in the lives of children in your community. Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week by nominating a special teacher for a Bammy Award.

Visit www.bammyawards.org for more information on the awards program. The nomination and voting period ends May 15.

Sherri Wilson is a senior manager of family and community engagement for National PTA. Wilson was the recognized by the Academy of Arts and Sciences with the 2014 Bammy Award for Parent Group Leader as well as the 2014 Educators Voice Award for Parent Group Leader of the Year.

Filed Under: Education News, Every Child in Focus, Family Engagement, General Tagged With:

Read with Your Child as Often as You Can

March 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Sherri and BoysMarch is National Reading Month and that’s a great reason to spend some quality time with your child reading together. My children are grown now and live in other states, but we still share book tips and sometimes very lively discussions!

When my oldest son Jake started school he was identified as gifted in math and science but the gifted program in his elementary school was focused on English and language arts. It was constant struggle for him and by fourth grade he got to the point where he would do anything he could to avoid reading. After seeing his grades slip I met with the teacher to talk about his problem. She suggested that we try reading aloud together and to make it more about having a good time than about doing schoolwork. She also suggested that I find a book that would really appeal to him to catch his interest and that I take the first turn reading.

Boy howdy, was Jake surprised when he got home from school that night and I whipped out a new book and asked him to cuddle with me while I read! As a very independent fourth grader, that was not an activity he thought he would enjoy! I bargained with him, for every thirty minutes he read with me I would go outside and play catch with him. He sat stiffly next to me as I opened the book.

Book selection is a critical component in trying to engage a reluctant reader. If they are already reluctant to read, having to read about a topic that doesn’t capture their interest makes it even harder. I knew Jake had a goofy sense of humor and so I selected on of my favorites The BFG by Roald Dahl.

As I started to read about Bonecruncher, Maidmasher, and the Childchewer Jake moved closer and closer. My youngest son Tyler even stopped playing with his trucks and scooted over to us to listen in as well. When I finished the first chapter I saw they were still engrossed in the story so I continued to the second. Halfway through I complained that my voice was tired and asked Jake if he’d mind taking over for a while.

Over the course of the week we sat each night and took turns reading aloud. Before we got to the end of the book I discovered Jake had smuggled it into his room at night and was reading it after I’d sent him to bed! By the time we finished the book Jake was asking me if there were any others by Roald Dahl we could read next. He was so into our reading time, he forgot all about making me play ball!

These are some of my fondest memories of my time with my children, and some of their favorite memories as well! Jake and Tyler are all grown up now but still call me occasionally to ask if I’ve read the latest Christopher Moore or Vince Flynn books.

Here are some practical tips for you to create a wonderful family reading experience in your own home.

  1. Make it fun! Reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be an adventure. If your attitude reflects the joy you feel from getting lost in a book it’s easier for your children to catch it too!
  2. Set aside blocks of time to read together. Even if you child is more interested in reading on their own, sit together and read something else side by side. Then take the time to ask questions about what they are reading.
  3. Look for books that interest your child and match their reading level. For infants and toddlers look for books with big, bright, colorful illustrations. For preschoolers look for books that have lively rhymes and repetition. For young readers try to find books with illustrations or photos that bring the text to life and provide context clues. For adolescents find books about subjects that interest your child or introduce new experiences or opportunities.

It’s never too soon or too late to read with your child and I guarantee the memories you make today will bring all of you a lot of joy later!

Sherri Wilson is a senior manager of family and community engagement for National PTA, a nonprofit association dedicated to being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Wilson develops and implements programs designed to increase family and community engagement in education. Prior to joining National PTA, Wilson served as director of the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center.

Filed Under: Family Engagement, Slider

The Art of Sharing Power

March 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment

SharingPowerCo-authored by Ethan Clark.

Lights! Camera! Action! Check out the following dramatic script to see an example of how arts education can be limited and one parent who wants to make a difference.

Colors for Timmy: A dramatic play about sharing power
by Sherri Wilson and Ethan Clark

Cast:
Timmy Wilson
Mrs. Wilson
Principal Clark

Late one evening at the Wilson’s dinner table…

Mrs. Wilson: “What was the best part of your day today, Timmy?”

Timmy: “I liked the painting we did in art class but we only had two colors to choose from and all of our pictures looked the same.”

Mrs. Wilson: “What? Only two colors? Why don’t they have more?”

Timmy: “Mr. Clark said they didn’t have any money in the budget to pay for more paint.”

Later that week, at the principal’s office…

Mrs. Wilson: “How can we get more colors of paint for the children?”

Mr. Clark: “The budget decisions were made by the committee last year.”

Mrs. Wilson: “How can I get on the committee? I’d like to make sure that all the kids get all the colors they need!”

Does this dramatic script resonate with you? Do you think your school needs more arts education? Ask your friends to role play this with you so you can practice having a voice in decisions that affect children. For inspiration check out The Quest, a national award winning film production from Reflections participant Ansel LaPier of Liberty, WA.

The PTA National Standards for Family School Partnerships were developed by leading researchers and practitioners to empower PTA leaders, parents, educators, community members and students to work together for the educational success of all children. The fifth of the six standards Sharing Power. Families and school staff should be equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices, and programs. Families and school staff should be equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices and programs.

Share power and advance arts learning in your school, with these 3 steps:

  1. Create a PTA taskforce of student, teacher and other school leaders. Welcome community arts professionals.
  2. Assess your school’s arts in education needs: Survey school leaders identify school policies that support arts teaching and learning (e.g. arts learning standards, arts instructional requirements, assessment of arts learning, licensure requirements for arts teachers, etc.). Use the Arts Education Partnership’s State of the States Arts Education State Policy Summary to compare school policies with state laws. Identify areas needing improvement.
  3. Develop an action plan with recommendations to school leaders on how update, adopt, or implement art education policies. Include your “shared power” strategy in official school documents such as a school improvement plan.

The arts — and the National PTA Reflections® program, in particular — can be a valuable tool for building stronger partnerships in your school community and meeting the Standard for Sharing Power.

Read more to learn about each of the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and the steps you can take with PTA Reflections to meet them. Also, consider enrolling in the National PTA School of Excellence program to gain new ways to engage all families in each of the standards. National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Contact excellence@pta.org or call (800)307-4782 for more info.

Fifth in a series of blog posts co-authored by National PTA’s Senior Manager of Family Engagement Sherri Wilson & Manager of Arts in Education Ethan Clark.

 

Filed Under: Art Education, Family Engagement, Slider

The Art of Speaking Up for Every Child

February 18, 2015 By 1 Comment

Co-authored by Ethan Clark.

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Students love art and you should too! How would you express your feelings about arts education in your school community? Take a moment and write your thoughts on why the arts are important for your child’s education. Bonus points if it rhymes!

Does your poem resonate with the following key facts about arts in education?

  1. Participation in the arts through programs like PTA’s Reflections develops the whole child. Through movement, social interactions, emotional expression and application of skill, arts education provides an academic advantage to students. The arts provide safe learning environments where students take risks, explore ideas, express their individuality and support their peers in a positive way. Studies also find that students are more engaged and teachers are more effective in arts-rich schools.
  2. PTA’s Reflections program can level the playing field for underserved students. Studies find that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, English language learners, and students with special needs—often underserved in public schools—show the greatest relative improvement in academic achievement when participating in arts programs such as PTA Reflections.
  3. Participation in the arts connects families and schools to one another and to their communities. Research shows a significant relationship between arts education, family engagement, and community participation. Students who study the arts develop a sense of personal responsibility toward their communities and have the ability to positively affect the community social life through their artwork. Insert a sentence about the way Reflections accomplishes that.

That Kind of TeacherIt’s important to let your school leaders know how you feel about arts in education! Share your perspective with school leaders so that they understand why you feel your child needs opportunity for arts learning.

For an inspirational look at education through the eyes of a child, take a look at That Kind of Teacher, a national award winning poem by Reflections participant Jared Weiss of New Jersey.

Sharing your views with school leaders is the heart of Speaking Up for Every Child, the fourth of the six National Standards for Family School Partnerships. Families should feel empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

Consider advocating for state or local policies to support arts in education. It takes a variety of policies across many areas of education to ensure a high quality learning experience, such as:

  • Arts as a core academic subject
  • Resources for early childhood learning in the arts
  • Learning and teaching standards
  • Time, space, and resources for elementary, middle and high school arts programs
  • Schools offer opportunities to participate in the arts during and after school
  • Students are graded on content knowledge and skills they’ve learned in art programs

Visit ArtScan by Arts Education Partnership to learn more about your state’s policies supporting arts education. And check out the Arts Education Field Guide by Americans for the Arts to expand your arts in education network.

The arts — and the National PTA Reflections® program, in particular — can be a valuable tool for building stronger partnerships in your school community and meeting the standard for speaking up for every child. When families come together at Reflections events, they have the opportunity to dialogue about the value of art education and how to work together to advocate for more.

Read more to learn about each of the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and the steps you can take with PTA Reflections to meet them. Also, consider enrolling in the National PTA School of Excellence program to gain new ways to engage all families in each of the standards. National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Contact excellence@pta.org or call (800)307-4782 for more info.

Fourth in a series of blog posts co-authored by National PTA’s Senior Manager of Family Engagement Sherri Wilson & Manager of Arts in Education Ethan Clark.

Filed Under: Art Education, Family Engagement, Slider

Engage! Speaking Up for My Child

December 30, 2014 By 1 Comment

Sherri_WilsonAs a parent, there isn’t much that means more to you than your children. You want them to be happy, healthy and one day able to put you in a nice nursing home with an oceanfront view! We all know that it is harder and harder to find a good job without an education and the lack of a good job makes everything more difficult. As parents, we understand the value of a good education, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to do when you see your child begin to struggle in school.

I began my career working in a Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) in Alabama. I was trained to help families who have children with special needs to advocate for the services to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education. I worked with families from all over the state who had children with every type of disability. I trained groups of parents throughout the state.  I helped them to understand what the federal laws were and how to access the state regulations. I went with them to meetings to model effective communication skills. In spite of all my experiences and all of the families I helped, I still wasn’t prepared when my child was identified as eligible for services.

My son struggled with attention problems and was ultimately diagnosed with ADHD. We also discovered through the testing process that he had learning disabilities in written expression and math. The evaluations didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. Every night I saw him struggle with those challenges and tried to help him. I knew that his challenges were not his fault and that there were services that could help him, but trying to articulate that to his teachers was often very frustrating. Before his evaluation, I was told he was not motivated, that he didn’t try hard enough, and that he just needed to pay more attention. Finally getting the evaluation was like a Christmas miracle because at last I had something to point to and say it’s not his fault, let’s stop trying to blame him and talk about how we can support him!

Even with the diagnosis, the evaluations, and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), I had a hard time getting help for my child. It was hard to schedule meetings and then they often seemed rushed to get me out and get the next parent in. The services would be in his IEP but I’d find out they weren’t being provided in his classroom. I feared I was being labeled as the “problem parent” because I was asking for too many meetings to try to address the services that weren’t being provided or weren’t working. I didn’t want to push for too much because I was always afraid there would be repercussions against my son.

Ultimately, I realized it is really, really hard to advocate for your own child all by yourself. I really believe that most of the educators in my son’s life wanted him to be successful but were overwhelmed or under resourced. I was most frustrated by the times I was not treated as a partner in his education; when teachers acted like I hadn’t spent years with this child taking him to doctor’s appointments, sporting events and birthday parties or when the principals acted like I hadn’t been to a hundred other IEP meetings where they told me not to worry because they didn’t need to put it all down on paper since we were all in agreement.

I believe that every parent wants the best for their children, even if they aren’t sure how to articulate it or what it looks like. I also believe that educators decide to teach because they care about children and want to see them do well. I hope one day we all recognize that in each other we can really embrace a true partnership where we help each other to help our children succeed.

Filed Under: Every Child in Focus, Family Engagement

The Art of Communicating Effectively

October 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

With co-author Ethan Clark

ListeningListening is the most important part of communication. Try this listening activity to identify the themes presented in this Reflections award winning music composition. Click here to listen to “Becoming a Piano Teacher” by Emily DeNucci. Actively listen for three movements and see if you can recognize the message that Emily is communicating through music.

Now, check on how well you listened! When you heard “Becoming a Piano Teacher” by Emily DeNucci, did you hear all three movements? Check your listening skills with her artist statement below.

“This music piece is about is that there’s a little girls, Rosalina, who loves to play the piano, and when she grows up she wants to be a piano teacher.  So the first part of my piano song is that she believes she can do it and she practices piano more and more.  The second part of my song is that Rosalina, every night dreams about being a piano teacher.  The third part of my song is that when she grows up she really does become a piano teacher, and she knew, all that time, that her teacher inspired her.” – Emily DeNucci

Like listening to a musical composition, parents and teachers need many opportunities to engage in two-way dialogue so that they can better understand each other’s perspectives and how to support student success.

Listening is the First Step for Communicating Effectively at School

The National Standards for Family-School Partnerships provide a framework for strengthening family engagement programs to focus on what parents, schools and communities can do together to support student success. Communicating Effectively with school staff about student learning is the second of the six standards.

The goal for Communicating Effectively is sharing information between school and families. Families, the community, and school staff should communicate in numerous interactive ways, both formally and informally. After all, communication is the key to building trusting relationships, and relationships are the key to engaging all families! Indicators for this standard include providing information on current issues and facilitating connections among families.

Consider how your PTA can encourage positive, two-way dialogue between parents and school staff at these arts education events:

  • Invite families and school staff to student exhibitions and performances.
  • Recognize student achievement in the arts at school staff and school board meetings.
  • Host a student artist reception and facilitate introductions at back to school night and during activity fairs.
  • Encourage school leaders to volunteer at a fundraiser supporting afterschool arts activities.

The arts — and the National PTA Reflections® program, in particular — can be a valuable tool for building stronger partnerships in your school community and meeting the Standard for Communicating Effectively.

We challenge you to use the arts as a listening tool – not just for music, but for creating opportunities for families and teachers to connect. And the next time your PTA and school staff work together, take a photo and upload it to your favorite social media site like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can use the hashtag #StartTheArts to expand the conversation among families, school staff, and community partners.

Read more to learn about each of the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and the steps you can take with PTA Reflections to meet them. Also, consider enrolling in the National PTA School of Excellence program to gain new ways to engage all families in each of the standards. National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Contact excellence@pta.org or call (800)307-4782 for more info.

Second in a series of blog posts co-authored by National PTA’s Senior Manager of Family Engagement Sherri Wilson & Manager of Arts in Education Ethan Clark.

 

Filed Under: Art Education, Communications, Family Engagement, Slider

ENGAGE! in the Power of Positive Thoughts

October 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Sherri_WilsonI really believe in lifelong learning. I try to model behavior for my kids to show them I really believe in it and also because it makes me a better person! The class I’m currently taking is The Science of Happiness from UC Berkeley. I’ve just started but the topic is fascinating and I can already see how parents and teachers would benefit from understanding some of the brain research coming out of this field!

Positive Emotions Yield Student Success

According to Dr. Barbara Frederickson, a highly respected researcher of positive emotions, cultivating positivity can make us more creative, resilient, and better connected to others. Dr Frederickson says positive emotions open us up or broaden our perspective and transforms us by bringing out the best in us.

Opening us up has some impressive results. People become more creative and are better at problem solving. They are more resilient and better able to cope with challenges. One of the most interesting findings she cited was an improvement in the academic performance of kids. According to Dr. Frederickson research has also shown that kids do better on tests if they’re asked to sit and think of a positive memory right before they take the test.

Parents can empower their own children by helping them start their day in a positive way. Make sure they feel good about the day ahead as they walk out the door, send them off with positive messages about what a great day they are going to have. When they get home ask them questions that help them reflect on the positive experiences they had at school before discussing any problems. When they come home with something they are really proud of ask them how they felt when they got their scores. Some of the questions you can ask might be “What was the greatest thing that happened in school today?” or “What was the best part of your day today?” or even “How great did you feel when you saw you aced that exam?”

Positive Emotions Yield Positive Leaders

Dr Frederickson also found positive emotions help us make better connections to others, even across groups. Positive emotions help us look past racial and cultural differences and see the unique individuals behind those traits. They help us see the universal qualities we share with others, instead of our differences. And other experiments have shown bringing out positive emotions, makes people more trusting and allows them to resolve situations with more win-wins.

That’s why it’s important for PTA leaders to remember the power of positive emotions as they recruit new volunteers, celebrate successful programs or events, and build relationships with school leaders. Starting each meeting with a positive message and a heartfelt thank you to any volunteers will make everyone feel good about being a part of the group!

How Much is Enough?

So how much positivity do we need? Dr Frederickson says high functioning people are those who score well on things like self-acceptance, purpose in life, environmental mastery, positive relationships with others, and personal growth and they typically experience a ratio of about three positive emotions to every negative one.

John Gottman’s research found unless married couples have at least five positive comments or interactions for every negative one, their marriage is likely to end. Also, high performance teams have almost six positive “utterances” for every one negative.

What Does it Mean for Us?

If you believe, as I do, that relationships are the secret to the universe, shouldn’t we make an effort to have positive interactions with everyone we meet? Certainly, sending the kids to school with a happy memory will help them start their day on a positive note. Also, interactions with teachers and administrators are more likely to result in win-win situations when we approach each other from a positive place.

If you are interested in learning more about the Science of Happiness, consider joining the course! For more information, about that one and many others check out the EDX site and you can read more of these studies and sign up for free newsletters at the Greater Good Science Center.

ENGAGE! is a weekly column on Family Engagement written by Sherri Wilson, Senior Manager of Family and Community Engagement at the National PTA. Sherri is the former Director of the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center and is currently responsible for developing and implementing programs related to family and community engagement at the National PTA.

Filed Under: Family Engagement

Engage! in Creating Excellent Schools

September 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Recently I had a conversation with Jennifer Wiezorek of Plant PTSA in Florida. Jennifer is the VP of Advocacy for the Hillsborough County Council PTA and the Advocacy Chair and the Social Media Chair for Plant PTSA. Last year, Jennifer served as the VP of Membership at Plant PTSA.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for being a part of the Engage blog! Can you tell me a little bit about Plant High School?

Plant High School was built in 1926 in South Tampa. Plant has been nationally ranked as a top 100 high school by a variety of publications, most recently by the Washington Post. Plant is very proud of its tradition of excellence that is illustrated in its numbers – 95% of graduates go on to college; last year’s graduating class was offered $17 million in scholarship dollars; 70% graduated with honors; 88% graduated with a 3.0 or higher; 3,400 AP exams were administered last year.

This year we have 2,335 students, 27% minority. Our PTSA is one of the largest in Hillsborough County. Last year we had 938 members. We are fortunate that our PTSA is very active. PTSA helps support the school’s student run Writing Center – a resource available to all students wanting help with writing, be it a college application essay or a class paper. We also provide the convocation speaker before prom to educate students on wise decision making. Our outreach program adopted a school without a PTA, providing support programs for students and some TLC for the staff. And of course we do the fun stuff like staff appreciation and hosting hospitality events for the school.

Why did the Plant PTSA decide to enroll in the School of Excellence?

As a local unit, we were already working hard to promote PTSA within the community and increase awareness of what PTA does as an organization beyond our school’s walls. Enrolling in School of Excellence was sort of like accepting a challenge. Even though we have always supported our school community, School Of Excellence would encourage us to reach out to and engage our families and administration in new ways. We saw it as a way to evolve as an organization and to look at how we could improve our interaction with our families.

What did you learn when you began the surveys, did anything surprise you?

The survey process was very interesting. It was a surprise to me personally to see that my own experience as a parent wasn’t necessarily the norm. As someone who has long worked closely with PTA and other organizations, it has always been easy for me to stay informed. It was eye-opening to see the number of people who felt out of the loop.

I think my favorite thing about the survey was the way our principal embraced the results and worked to bring about change. We added a comment box section to our survey to allow parents to elaborate on their responses. Results were typical – some positive comments, some negative. Our principal didn’t try to make excuses for the complaints. Instead, he shared both the good and bad feedback with the staff to raise awareness of our families’ perceptions and to look for ways to improve.

How did you decide which goals your team wanted to address?

Our PTSA executive board chose ‘To support students’ emotional and mental well-being’ as our goal. I first became interested in mental health when I was PTSA president at my kids’ middle school. A guidance counselor there mentioned that parents need to have an emotional tool-kit ready to guide their kids through adolescence. We took that idea and adapted it for Plant. As you could tell from my first response, Plant expects a lot from its students. Plant always encourages students to reach higher and challenge themselves, to never look for the easy way out, and results show that our students rise to that challenge. But the reality is that high expectations can bring about a lot of stress. That’s in addition to the emotional challenges that just come naturally with being a teenager. We recognized that there was a need within our student body to talk about emotional wellness in an open and honest way. We wanted students to feel comfortable reaching out if they were experiencing any sort of problem. We wanted to educate parents on the variety of support resources available to students through the school system. And we hoped to lessen the stigma attached to mental illness.

What was your favorite part of the process?

Overall, I think my favorite part was the learning opportunity that the process presents. School of Excellence encouraged a sort of self-discovery within our PTSA. We used the framework of the program to evaluate current practices and identify areas in need of change. The family-school survey was of enormous value in that respect. I would be willing to conduct that survey every year, even during the years we get to relax and celebrate our success!

I also appreciated the level of enthusiasm and support we received from our administration and staff. I would imagine that not every school would be open to the process, but our already busy faculty found time to support and assist us throughout the year. Earning School of Excellence is a collaborative process, and we couldn’t have done it without the backing of our school.

My favorite moment was during the evening program we conducted for the community. Plant’s social worker led off by saying to parents, “If you are not comfortable talking about mental health, your student will not feel comfortable coming to you for help if they need it.” That one statement was so powerful, and really drove home for me the reason we were working so hard.

What impact did the School of Excellence program have on your school or your PTSA?

Working toward School of Excellence ended up being a fantastic period of growth for our PTSA. We expanded our involvement with our families by creating and implementing our Healthy Families, Healthy Kids program. Conducting the survey and acting on the results demonstrated to families that their input is valued and taken seriously. Most of all, School of Excellence made us realize that no matter how excellent we thought we were before we started the process, there is always room to expand and improve.  Our PTSA is better off for having participated in the School of Excellence program, without a doubt.

Is there any advice you’d give to new schools enrolling in the program?

I’d say don’t be afraid to give it a try! It’s a lot of work, I’ll be honest about that, but the journey is truly more rewarding than the destination. I’m sure that all schools that participated, even those who didn’t complete the process, benefited in multiple ways. National PTA is there to support you along the way with a variety of resources – this isn’t something you have to tackle on your own.

I’m so glad Plant PTSA found the process so rewarding! Congratulations again on becoming a National PTA School of Excellence. I think a lot of other PTAs are going to enjoy learning about your journey. Thanks so much for your time!

If you would like more information about the National PTA School of Excellence program, check out www.pta.org/excellence. Enrollment is open through October 1. PTAs who enroll will receive the Getting Started Guide, which describes program components, including first steps to gather feedback from families and set goals with the school.

Sherri_WilsonENGAGE! is a weekly column on Family Engagement written by Sherri Wilson, Senior Manager of Family and Community Engagement at the National PTA. Sherri is the former Director of the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center and is currently responsible for developing and implementing programs related to family and community engagement at the National PTA.

Filed Under: Family Engagement

ENGAGE! in Core Beliefs

August 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Mother_ChildOne of the things that frustrates me most is that most of us agree family engagement is a critical component of school success, after all we have 40 years of research that says so, but we still lack true family-school partnerships in many schools. How do you know if your school is really open to truly partnering with families?

Beyond the Bake Sale by Henderson, Mapp, Johnson, and Davies identifies four core beliefs that schools must hold in order to form authentic partnerships with families.

  1. All parents have dreams for their children and want the best for them.
  2. All parents have the capacity to support their children’s learning.
  3. Parents and school staff should be equal partners.
  4. The responsibility for building partnerships between school and home rests primarily with school staff, especially school leaders.

Why are these beliefs so important? Before they can build trusting, respectful partnerships with families, schools must believe that parents want their children to succeed and that partnerships can be done!

Often the barriers to achieving those beliefs are caused by fear and misconceptions, particularly when faculty and staff do not share the same cultural or social background. Beyond the Bake Sale offers an entire chapter on dealing with issues of race, class, and culture. Here are a few tips!

  • Recognize, learn about, and affirm all of the cultures in the school.
  • Connect family cultures to what students are learning.
  • Work with “cultural brokers” from the community to connect families to school.
  • Recognize and support different forms of parent involvement.
  • Support learning at home.
  • Address the language barrier.

For more information about diversity and inclusion, check out the National PTA eLearning course on Cultural Competence at http://redirect.pta.org/local_leader/elearning/cultural/index.html and the wide variety of resources available through the Every Child in Focus Campaign at http://www.pta.org/everychild.

 

ENGAGE! is a weekly column on Family Engagement written by Sherri Wilson, Senior Manager of Family and Community Engagement at the National PTA. Sherri is the former Director of the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center and is currently responsible for developing and implementing programs related to family and community engagement at the National PTA.

 

Filed Under: Family Engagement, Slider

ENGAGE! in Creating Family Friendly Schools

August 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

How family friendly is your school? How do you know? Sometimes it’s easy to overlook things that could be a barrier to family engagement because after you see something day after day it tends to becomes invisible to you! I think it’s a lot like when you get a crack in your kitchen cabinet. At first you worry about it, you try to put a plant in front of it to cover it up or drape a tea towel over it to keep it hidden. But time goes by and soon you forget it’s there. You are shocked when someone comes over to you house and says, “Hey! There’s a crack in your cabinet!”

Have you ever done an audit of your school facilities to see if there are any unintentional barriers? How have you engaged families in that process? And then, once you identify the barriers, what’s your process for removing them? Do you engage families in that process?

Here are 10 more ideas on how to use the Assessment Guide:

  • To assess current family involvement practices at the school
  • To develop ideas for involvement practices and activities
  • To inform the development of a school improvement plan
  • To monitor progress in reaching school improvement goals
  • To design professional development for staff
  • To discuss the Standards at PTA and faculty meetings
  • To conduct a school walk-through looking for evidence of implementation for each Standard
  • To create a survey for parents and staff
  • To guide the development of school-based parent involvement policies and compacts
  • To design research and evaluation studies and instruments

For more information, check out the PTA National Standards for Family School Partnerships at www.pta.org/nationalstandards.

Beyond the Bake Sale by Anne Henderson and Karen Mapp also contains a checklist to help you assess your school. The checklist is a good start to identify some barriers and begin conversations about how to break them down. The PTA National Standards for Family School Partnerships Assessment Guide offers a much more intensive assessment tool that includes a rubric to see if your school is emerging, progressing, or excelling each of the six National Standards for Family School Partnerships. PTAs can also enroll in the School of Excellence program to engage families in the process of identifying barriers and then developing an action team to break them down!

ENGAGE! is a weekly column on Family Engagement written by Sherri Wilson, Senior Manager of Family and Community Engagement at the National PTA. Sherri is the former Director of the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center and is currently responsible for developing and implementing programs related to family and community engagement at the National PTA.

 

 

Filed Under: Family Engagement, Slider
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