Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, June 27, 2014

6-27-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":







“Power Of Community” Is A Must-Read Report
I’ve written a lot about the tremendous parent engagement work of the St. Paul teachers union. They’ve just come out with a must-read report on their work titled Power Of Community. I’m adding it to The Best Reasons Why Parents Should Be Looked At As Allies & Not Targets Of Blame.
British Mother Fined For Taking Son Out Of School To Attend Her Wedding
Earlier today, I posted about a new parents group in England organizing for more parent engagement in schools and against that country’s ridiculous law of finding parents for taking their kids out of school during the year. Now, The Telegraph has run a story about: Clare Whitelegg has been told she cannot take her son out of school for her wedding as it does not amount to ‘exceptional circumstanc
“Parents Want A Say” Is New British Group Formed To Give Parents A Voice In Ed Policies
The Guardian reports on a new British parents group called Parents Want A Say. Its initial impetus was fighting what appears to me a ridiculous policy of fining parents when they take their kids on vacation while school is in session, but they’re not stopping there: While the group’s initial focus is on changing the policy on term-time absences, Langman says it is only one of many areas where pare
Parents Organize Charter School With Support Of Teachers Union
Many parents — and teachers — were rightfully upset last year when our Sacramento district closed a number of elementary schools, especially because the district wasn’t transparent with the decision-making process they used. Now, a very large group of parents, with the support of our teachers union, has gotten approval from the School Board to start a “dependent” (in other words, committing to hir
“Truancy court: Parents get support, kids get to school”
I’ve previously posted about a number of punitive actions districts have considered or taken against parents in order to get actions taken by them. Truancy court: Parents get support, kids get to school is an article in the San Francisco Chronicle that takes a different approach: Here’s an excerpt: In the past 10 years, 740 parents have been prosecuted and charged with truancy infractions and 85 t
“Big Brother: Meet the Parents”
Big Brother: Meet the Parents is an article at Politico. Here’s an excerpt: A months-long review by POLITICO of student privacy issues, including dozens of interviews, found the parent privacy lobby gaining momentum — and catching big-data advocates off guard. Initially dismissed as a fringe campaign, the privacy movement has attracted powerful allies on both the left and right. The American Civil