Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, September 27, 2014

9-27-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"


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






“Florida PTA Urges State to Make Changes to School Accountability System”
Florida PTA Urges State to Make Changes to School Accountability System is the headline of an Ed Week post. Here’s an excerpt: The Florida PTA issued a press release this week asking lawmakers and state Department of Education officials for the following: Proper field-testing and test development in areas that mirror Florida’s diverse demographics; A suspension of school letter grades until perfo
“How Districts Can Lay the Groundwork for Lasting Family Engagement”
How Districts Can Lay the Groundwork for Lasting Family Engagement is a new report from SEDL, which generally puts out some decent resources. Here’s how it describes its report: Family engagement in a student’s education can lead to improved student academic achievement, attendance, and behavior. Yet many districts and schools still struggle to form strong partnerships with the families they serve
Three New Resources On Parent-Teacher Conferences
I’m adding these new resources to The Best Resources On Parent/Teacher Conferences: Why Students Should Take the Lead in Parent-Teacher Conferences is from MindShift. Supporting Ongoing, Constructive, and Meaningful Conversations About Student’s Progress is from The Harvard Family Research Project. Parent Night: Declaring Students’ Independence is from Middleweb (not exactly on conferences, but cl

SEP 23

Georgia School Board Member Won’t Let A Bad Idea Die: No Grad Tickets For Parents If They Don’t Come To Open House
Earlier in the year, I posted a news report about a Georgia School Board member who wanted to ban parents from their children’s high school graduation. It appears he has now refined his idea a bit further: “I think a parent should earn the right to attend a graduation,” he said. “How do you earn that right? Come to the open house. Come to curriculum night. And any other third thing that we deem im
“Three Tips to Focus Parent-Teacher Conferences On Creating a Partnership”
Three Tips to Focus Parent-Teacher Conferences On Creating a Partnership is a useful post from MindShift. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On Parent/Teacher Conferences.
NYC School Threatens Parents With A Call To Child-Welfare Agency If They Pick-Up Their Kids Late
Charter school parents warned that late pick-ups could mean child-welfare report is the headline of an article in Chalkbeat: New York. Here’s how the article begins: A charter elementary school on the Lower East Side is telling families they will be reported to the city’s child-welfare agency if they make a habit of not picking up their child on time. And this story is the newest additions to The
NPR Offers Parent-Teacher Conference Advice
NPR offered two separate shows on Rethinking A Fall Classic: The Parent-Teacher Conference. I’m adding them to The Best Resources On Parent/Teacher Conferences.
“Parent Communication Toolbox”
Parent Communication Toolbox is a very useful post from Edutopia, written by Gwen Pescatore. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Using Technology To Help Engage Parents.
Parent Trigger Ready To Bring Chaos To Ohio Schools
Schools in Columbus, Ohio, are bracing for chaos as they become a pilot project for using the parent trigger. The former superintendent (don’t you love it when people make decisions and don’t hang around to deal with the consequences?) offered the city up to the state as a place to experiment. The state has chosen StudentsFirst as a “neutral party” to be responsible for informing parents — Unbelie