News-Record.com

I think it is a wonderful thing that Title 1 Parent, or any other parent for that matter, wants to be involved with their child's education. However, it is not the taxpayer's responsibility to send these parent's to seminar's for parent training. There are plenty of resources right here in the area that could be tapped. One doesn't have to go to Alabama to get information on government rules and regulations. You only have to go to the local library to read books or use the internet to research the topic. You don't have to attend a seminar to talk with your school officials.
Make a one-on-one appointment and talk directly with your elected representative. If you don't get the results you expect, then bring it to these public forums. But be willing to name the people involved along with dates and places. If you are going to accuse school officials of making comments about not being interested in parent's involvement, you need to specify who. It's not fair to paint all school officials as having this attitude. If you won't name people, the I must reject your comment as having no validity or factual basis.

Allen, I think one of the biggest attitudinal problems is manifest right in your article where you state: "like other districts, GCS most consistently fails to educate it's poorer students", first implying culpability and also implying a passive educational model where people show up and say "Educate Me! I might help, I might not, but you owe me". It would probably be more accurate to say "poorer students do not get educated as they should".

The model your statement implies gets us nowhere.

I will echo the sentiments of a blogger several weeks ago - as the parent of a Very Strong Learner, I should also have the opportunity to attend a national gifted seminar, should I not?

We have listened to parents during board meetings and in community meetings talking about there many attempts to work not only with there schools but with personnel in the Title 1 District office with so many years of problems why are these executive directors and directors still leading this department.
Perhaps the Title 1 funds for there position should be considered.

If GCS has a Title 1 Parent Involvement Policy and they also have a District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) - Why did the members of DPAC not get information directly from the Title 1 office about the Title 1 Conference (before Sept. 2008)? It appears clearly that the US Department of Education supports this conference and other in NC have attended this conference. It is strange how other districts in NC received notice about the conference but not GCS.

Since the board only decided to send (4) parents to represent 41 school why not consider spending the money and work with the parent leaders to develope a local conference with the leaders of the conference in Alabama.

In listening to several board meetings it is clear that the GCS Board of Education has received numerous inquiries with this department over the last few years but how many more years should they keep there eyes and ears closed to the concerns from parents effected.

"Title I is supposed to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to reach state learning standards. Title I is intended to help close the gap in academic achievement between students in different ethnic and income groups. Title 1 is also designed to ensure that schools and school districts are accountable for good teaching, and provide families with meaningful opportunities to participate in their children’s education."

Questions like (1) Are the current Supplemental Educational Services (SES) beneficial for our district, are all the school with SES services passes AYP or is Title 1 just another "cash cow" for the vendors or district.

Before passing judgement on any parent perhaps the district should consider what all parents goals are "academic achievement" for all children.

Often tone comes from the top if negative barriers have been developed from past administration. I am sure it is now time to move forward, the community looks forward to administrators being open to parents and less staff/teachers with attitudes towards parents.

I look forward to the days when we can "Secret Shop Staff" and promote excellent customer service in GCS.

What is the next topics for parents:
School Suspension/Drop Outs (IS SCALES really helping students?)
High Stakes Testing
Text Books
IEP's/PEP's
Tests/Benchmarks

If the class is not mastering the lesson why does the teacher have to more forward?

What challenges is keeping ALL children from
getting a good education if parents are involved?

If redistricting does not work perhaps we should bring back neighborhood schools to help all parents? If a family does not have a computer what good is it to give a email to a child or assignments on a website?

Who knows when you have parents who expect more from the third largest district!

Allen, thanks for providing both sides of the story.

Skeet club if you want names of staff personnel read materials provided to the board. View the BOE videos, many parents have done all they can do and they have worked directly with school administrators we look forward to seeing you support others at public community forums.

Would the district and the board ignored AL Parents if they had concerns that are supported from statues and laws.

Anonymous:
The district ought to consider it, but I would place a greater priority on students who are struggling.

It's ridiculous to suggest that it's the fault of GCS, the school or the teachers that kids aren't getting an education. I'm gettinng tired of reading your predictable victim stuff on this and other issues.
It is the parents fault, or in all too many cases the single parents fault. Period.
It takes a lot of hard work to make sure your children get their homework done every night, and get to bed on time, and brush their teeth, and eat right, etc.
And then do it all over again the next day.
Some parents just don't do what they need to be doing for their children and as a result, some kids just don't get an education.

"like most other districts, Guilford most consistently fails to educate its poorest students, who tend to do worse than their peers by nearly every measure."

There are two dubious premises here: (1) that education is a thing schools do (well or badly) to students, and (2) the peers of our "poorest students" are wealthier students, not poor students elsewhere. The ubiquity of the achievement gap suggests that it is the norm, and there's a mountain of evidence suggesting that educational achievement is more closely correlated to parents than to teachers and schools. (In reverse, this is one reason you've supported busing: there's no long term cost to middle class students.)

Rather than pinning the failure on GSC, we had better face honestly the realities that (1) the failure is largely parental and cultural, and (2) because of 1, extraordinary efforts will be necessary to raise the poorest students to the level of more advantaged students. And while we're at it, we had better face the reality that such efforts will be almost impossible politically.

Here's George Will on a charter school run by Benjamin Chavis:

"AIPCS is one of six highly prescriptive schools Whitman studied, where "noncognitive skills" -- responsible behaviors such as self-discipline and cooperativeness -- are part of the cultural capital the curriculum delivers. Many inner-city schools feature a monotonous chaos of disruption. AIPCS -- Oakland's highest-performing middle school -- stresses obligation, not self-expression. Chavis, now "administrator emeritus," is adamant: "Everyone says we should 'preserve our culture.' There is a lot of our culture we should wipe out."

A visitor to an AIPCS classroom notices that the children do not notice visitors. Students are taught to sit properly -- no slumping -- and keep their eyes on the teacher. No makeup, no jewelry, no electronic devices. AIPCS's 200 pupils take just 20 minutes for lunch and are with the same teacher in the same classroom all day. Rotating would consume at least 10 minutes, seven times a day. Seventy minutes a day in AIPCS's extra-long 196-day school year would be a lot of lost instruction. The school does not close for Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day or César Chávez Day.

Every student takes four pre-AP (Advanced Placement) classes. There are three hours of homework a night, three weeks of summer math instruction. Seventh-graders take the SAT. College is assumed.

Paternalism is the restriction of freedom for the good of the person restricted. AIPCS acts in loco parentis because Chavis, who is cool toward parental involvement, wants an enveloping school culture that combats the culture of poverty and the streets."

Here's a school that empirically solves the problem, but can anybody imagine a school like that existing in Guilford County? Can anybody imagine a vocational curriculum (another solution with some promise) not causing an outcry over tracking and "second-class" education?

Good for Title 1 parents if they want to get involved, but the questions they're posing don't encourage me:

"“If it’s homework, can it be relevant?” asked Linda Mozell, who tutors students of various levels in her home and volunteers in several Title 1 schools.

(Is the assumption that homework can't be relevant? That it's a waste of time? That this attitude will help students?)

“And why can’t schools be open after hours? We need learning centers.”

(Why can't students learn after hours at home? Why are "learning centers" necessarily staffed by people other than you? Isn't it that you're "getting involved" to make other people do the work?)

Instead of telling the schools how to do it (which I take to be the dominant motif in these comments, which no doubt explains the resistance these parents are meeting from teachers and administrators), why not assume the ultimate responsibility for your own child's education?

It takes me nearly an hour every day to deprogram my children from the left-wing propaganda they receive on various matters, but I'm willing to take the time--for their good and the good of our nation.

I think that this having the parents go and get some training about how to work with schools is a great idea. Schools, administraters, and teachers are always taking about a lack of parental involvement. . . well this sure doesnt look that way. I give big kudos to these parents that are standing up for their rights! These children deserve the same quality of education as the other students.

To Anonymous:
Let me get this straight: Are you suggesting that we shoudn't hold taxpayer-funded schools accountable for academic performance?
And please remember, the thrust of my column is that these parents recognize the need to be involved and are simpy trying to do that.
Quite frankly, I'm impressed that one of them not only volunteers but holds tutorial sessions in her home.

Allen -
Are you suggesting that there isn't at least one child in every class that is getting an education?
If every single kid in every single class in a school was failing and not being educated, then I'd look deeper into the situation.
But the fact is, there ARE kids getting educated in every single class in any school you want to look at.
In my opinion, that fact completely blows away your argument that the school system, the school, and the teachers aren't doing their jobs.
Of course I'm not suggesting that schools, teacher or the sysytem shouldn't be held accountable.
I'm simply suggesting that parents should be held most accountable in the education of THEIR children.
I've been reading you long enough to know that I almost never agree with you when it comes to who you think should be accountable on an issue like this. Personal responsibility and accountability go hand in hand, though that's not how you see it.

Anonymous apparently is married, has a gifted child and holds down a 9-5 job. Life is good.

But, why so much anger towards other people who are working hard to make things better for Guilford County school children? Why begrudge people their efforts on behalf of children in Title I schools?

Because you don't need to spend taxpayer money to travel to Alabama to figure out how to help your child in school.
That's why.

Anonymous:
I agree that parents should held accountable. So, why fault parents for wanting to take a more active role in their children's education?
Isn't that the point?

Anonymous, I think you and Allen aren't as far off as you might think.

Quite frankly, the 41 parents who were willing to go on this trip aren't the parents who don't get it. If they care enough to travel to Alabama for their kids, chances are they also are the kinds of parents who make sure their children do their homework, brush their teeth, eat a good dinner, etc. These folks aren't the problem - the problem is that we don't have enough parents like them.

Well, another problem is that these folks felt they had to go all the way to Alabama to get some straight answers. As Title 1 parents said in your article, they are getting the run-around from the Guilford County Schools administration.

GCS and the School Board don't want true parental involvement. They want parents who will show up for the grunt work and who will support their endless pleas for money. But if any parent actually asks a tough question, he or she is considered the enemy.

Maybe Mo Green will be different, but if so, he's going to have to change the entire GCS culture from one of paranoia and secrecy to one of openness and engagement.

Anonymous--true, some conferences are an excuse for a vacation. On the other hand, some conferences are excellent-- I've been to some.

What's wrong with spending Title I money to educate parents on how to help children? Your AL child has extra money spent on him/her every single year--above and beyond the average child in school. I don't hear you complaining about how unfair that is. But then I guess your child is special.

Again, I don't see anyone wanting a free trip. I would be more suspicious if these parenrts weren't already veryt involved in the schools as advocates and volunteers.
Remember, one of them tutors community kids in her home.

Amen, Allen.

I honestly think discussions like this do more harm than good.

Allen persuades us that these parents really care. GCS reaches out and becomes a true partner, earning the trust of these folks. Curriculum decisions become transparent, and next year, all 41 parents are sent to the conference, with no complaining from the Rhino crowd (because we know they really care). Everyone is happy . . .

and nothing changes. We have substituted "honest dialogue" and "respect"--feelgood window dressing--for the kind of fundamental structural change that is, IMO, the only real hope for this group of students. In 10 years, the achievement gap will remain the same.

The real answer is to find real world solutions--actual schools that have succeeding in educating the group of students predictably at the bottom of the achievement gap--and institute them with Stalinesque rigor.

Why so sour, Brian? Are parental involvement and studying schools that succeed mutually exclusive?
As a parent, do you expect to be involved in your child's education and would you be bothered if the school system didn't welcome that involvement?

Allen, what about the obvious here? You have forty that want to go. Four end up going. They come home from Alabama, with a banjo on their knee, and each of the four meet with the other nine who stayed behind and tell them what they learned, distribute the literature etc. If one person can't tell a group of nine other people what the score is, it's unlikely they are going to be an effective advocate for anybody.

Allen -
I don't think you really understand the kind of parental involvement the schools are looking for.
They aren't looking for parents who say "schools are unresponsive and uncooperative".
We have never found schools to be uncooperative and unresponsive - mainly because we're not contacting them for anything. We just help our kids do their homework, we sign the papers the schools needs on time, we volunteer when asked and available, etc. What are these people contating the school for??

"Working effectively with Principals" - what? We've never had to contact any of our kids Principals. Why would you need to do that??

You also quote the group meeting with the new Superintendent as asking "specific questions about disciplinary policies".
This is hilarious. There's a big part of the problem right there. The behaviour of too many kids in the groups - Title 1, poor, whatever - is simply not acceptable in school or society. And worse than that, the parents don't get that and want to ask the new Super all about disciplinary issues. What a waste of time.

Obviously there are people involved with schools that need to know about some of these things, but it's also very obvious that the majority of us with kids in school just need to be doing the basics of homework, sleep etc and not worrying about anything else - because that's plenty to worry about.

Why are you always looking for someone to blame other than the parents who are most accountable?
I'll keep playing the largest role in my kids education, you keep the blame game going, and we'll see how it works out, ok?

Anonymous:
There can and should be more to parental involvement than simply getting kids to do homework. Parents should be partners in their children's education and I am happy more want to be involved.
Why would a parent need to contact a principal? For many reasons ... to offer to volunteer, to help with fundraising, to be a part of something positive and constructive like the Morehead Men's Breakfast.
And also to work with school officials if problems do arise.
Maybe you don't see the need, but even June and Ward Cleaver dealt with teachers and principals.
And any parent who wants to get involved should feel welcome, not turned away.

Well, there are lots of reasons for my sourness, many of them having little to do with this topic. But on this topic, my sourness derives from my sense that a false solution is being substituted for--not supplementing--a real one. (Instead of "studying schools that succeed," why not copy them?) These parents want to feel included--fine, encourage that. But a Grade A, gold-plated parental involvement council will, IMO, do almost nothing of consequence.

Do I expect to be involved in my child's education? I'm pretty much with Anonymous on that one. I've never spoken with a principal, and apart from one gentle request in one scheduled teacher conference (out of 10, probably) for more challenging work for my kid, I've never asked a teacher for anything. I go to the class ever week, volunteer for field trips and parties, sign the paperwork, etc. and leave the teacher alone to do her job as she sees fit. Even when there has been excessive, monotonous homework, our line to the kids is "if you think that's boring, wait until you're older, when things get really boring. Suck it up. Life will get worse, so enjoy it while it's only mildly bad. This builds moral fiber." If our kid doesn't understand the assignment (in Spanish), the line is not that the teacher failed, but that she failed. "If you didn't understand, you should have asked. Figure it out. You're smart. I don't speak Spanish."

Sure, I can imagine confronting a teacher or a principal over a problem, but too many parents look for problems, and that's true across all income levels.

Allen, sounds a heckuva a lot like you're generalizing, showing prejudice and bias, and condescending attiude toward the most-likely-white Anonymous above with the Ward and June cleaver remark. I want you to know that I am strongly offended by this, myself being white, and ask that you never, ever compare or imply that me and the Mrs. or any other white parents are Ward and June Cleaver again or there is going to be big trouble!

You should know better. You want us to start throwing around George and Weezie?

Brian:
Are you just disagreeing just to be disagreeable?
I think we're on the same page on most of this discussion.
And, please remember, these parents aren't just complaining. One works with the Council of PTAs and another volunteers in schools and runs her own tutorial program.

Actually, I wasn't even thinking about race ... just about June and Ward as idyllic American parents.

I wonder why Action Greensboro hasn't stepped up to fund this field trip?

Or what about The Guilford Education Alliance?

Or how about the News & Record? Instead of offering the minority workshop - how about funding this field trip and having the participants come back and teach other parents?

Allen, I'm not buyin'. I think it was unconscious-on-your-part, inherent, smoldering, inescapable, irresolvable, persistent racism.

Allen, could you help me get a no-bid contract from the schoolboard. The lady I live with can do computer wiring if she had to and stuff like that.

ps. I remain offended.

There you go (off) again. Back on topic, please., Mr. Savage.

Sorry. I know it's getting old, but I'm just trying to make a living.

Allen, that's what they said about Socrates. Like Socrates, I'm being disagreeable for the good of everyone else. Sometimes I'm agreeable for the good of everyone else (like Ward Cleaver).

AL parents are fine with the extra money being spent on their children--no complaints there. But if others (Title I schools) get an opportunity their children are not getting, the sky falls in. "Why isn't my child getting that?" It's entitlement at its finest.

The conference for Title I parents needs to be considered on its own merits. If the conference looks worthwhile, I hope at least a few parents can go. I'm impressed that there are parents who will make the effort to take time away from their jobs and families to make a difference in their schools. Kudos to them!

With the number of Title I parents in Greensboro,
the conference should be brought here.

All parents in Title 1 schools should be informed about what Title 1 means to them and what it provides the student and the parent.

Believe it or not, there are AL parents in Title 1 schools.....

Why is everyone so hostile to AL parents...both of my students are AL and the only benefit they have received from Guilford County schools is the opportunity to be placed between the rowdy kids in the classrom and asked to provide free tutoring on the side.

People only question the motives of AL parents who think their children should get everything that anyone else gets, per Anonymous' view: "...as the parent of a Very Strong Learner, I should also have the opportunity to attend a national gifted seminar, should I not?"

The merits of attending of the Title I conference should not be determined by whether AL parents--or any other set of parents--go to conferences. This idea can be extrapolated to other issues. Just because Gateway an indoor pool, does that mean that Lincoln should have an indoor pool? It just doesn't make any sense to look at issues in that way.

The decision to let Title I parents attend the conference should be evaluated on its own merits.

I too, wonder why so bitter? Is this a GC cycle that just can not be broken? This attitude will be passed to your children! You claim all that's needed is to do homework, you honestly do not have a clue! What's wrong with our County? All of this anger over our school system, why?

I am not from GC but, I can tell you there are schools in this county that are failing our children! I have an AL child in a Title I school. Mind you, I am not a "poor, uneducated, single parent"...our child attends a Title I school.

As far as not speaking with the Principal, you have no clue what's going on in your school or what needs there are! Have you asked?
Do you rely on the "flyers" and the "allcalls"?
They don't begin to scratch the surface!
I work with our Principal, hand in hand, for every child because they deserve the best.
If you curbed your anger long enough you'd realize those of us who are involved in the schools and attend endless meetings are working for the betterment for every child, even yours!

Do you even know anything about NCLB?
I am not here to argue or point fingers, I am simply saying, before you "judge" 41 parents, and call it a "vaction", you should really speak to them about their motives!
I honestly don't know if you'd even find a parent from every school willing to go. I think that is the bigger shame!
Garth, you need not comment
.
Until you visit these schools, just keep your seat warm on the bench til time served!

I've never seen a county more divided.

Just to clarify...
We moved to GC several years ago.
Can't understand the "great divide"
in this county~
I'm white but, I want every child
in this county to have the best education
possible. There are schools that continue
to fail AYP's, year after year.
This isn't the same children failing.
Somthing is wrong with this picture!
There comes a time when the community, yes that means parents, need to start asking why.
Some of us not only ask why but, what can we do to turn this around?
To to question of why you would contact a Principal. My child never goes to the Principal,
I talk to him about PROGRAMS, INCENTIVES,
WHAT WE CAN DO!!!!!!!!!!
IT'S TIME TO START ASKING TO TOUGH QUESTIONS AND FOLLOW UP WITH THE WORK IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THE JOB DONE!

Involved Mom:
I agree. We need that kind of engagement and it should be proactive and constructive.
Why wait for a problem to arise to get involved?

I wanted to share with all of the concerned citizens that I am a parent who is educated, not poor and as if that has anything to do with it married to a husband who is a doctor.

However, as parents of a STUDENT who attends a Title 1 one school please understand that Title 1 parents do work with administrators including principals however the challenges MANY parents face is administrators who do not actively work with parents and deny parents information and resources "Parent Involvement: is a key components of ALL children who deserve an education.

But if the community would stop spending so much energy on endless dialogue and get off the computer and walk into a Title 1 school and ask to the the Parent Involvement Plan and see how many schools are actually following those plan and then ask the principals to do a Connect ED survey to all parents and ask the question

1) Do you know what Title 1 is?
2) Do you know wha the Title 1 funds are used for at your school, if not ask?
3)Do you know who your DPAC parent is for the school and how to get in contact with them?
4)Have you read the districts Title 1 Parent Involvement plan?
5)Or the big question "Do you know when your School Improvement Team meeting is head and who your parent representatives are and how to contact them?"

I encourage ALL parents to contact there schools and ask these questions?

So for all the wonderful concerned citizens note that Title 1 parents do work on homework, meet with teachers and are actively involved and concerned about ALL kids not just the gifted.

Let's stay focused on what this column is about a group of PARENTS promoting Parent Involvement based on the rights of NCLB and Title 1 federal dollars that are made available for parent development as well as staff development.

I was asked to sign some papers for the school for the last few years and later found out they where submitting my name as a parent who helped to develope the Title 1 Parent Involvement Plan. When I asked for a copy of the paperwork I often received excuses from the staff (after several visits to the office eventually you get the picture).

Maybe this year they will actually ask a few of us parents to do more than just sign a document saying we helped.

As a classroom volunteer and a tutor I find myself having to do things on my own in the school to volunteer because staff act like they really don't want parents in there way.

Thanks to all the parents who share more information with other parents because I have learned we can not depend on all PTAs to know everything because the school is not sharing Parent Involvement options with parents.

Aside from the Annual Meeting held the school holds and then the useless compact they ask parents to sign to say they will do everthing and the district will sit back and watch.

What about a District Compact that say?

I will not move forward until ever child has mastered each lesson. I will make class sizes smaller in all Title 1 schools until ever school makes AYP.

It would be nice to see materials converted into languages we can read at home and on the website?

Is language barriers included in Title 1.

Is language barriers included in Title 1>>

It would be nice to see people who can spell, especially when they claim to be educated.

That's one language barrier to the discussion...

Allen:

A couple of thoughts.

First, as you know from the September 17, 2008 editorial there is a growing body of evidence that there is great deal of fraud in the Title I program. To be classified as a Title I school, a school must have a certain percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunches. Annual audits of the free and reduced lunches around the state demonstrate, however, that many, (some times more than half), of those who receive free and reduced lunches either can't demonstrate that they are eligible or don't bother to respond (and therefore lose their benefits). Our original premise, i.e., that Title I means "poor", therefore, is suspect. Despite this fact, we continue to rely on Title 1 designation for many important and costly things.

Second, I am one of six children. We were pretty poor growing up. I remember one day when the only thing that there was to eat in the house was a can of consume' broth. However, my parents (neither of whom went to college) had two rules: you are all going to college and if you get in trouble at school we don't even want to know your side. All six of us went to college, with two going on to post-graduate work.

The point is that going to a Title 1 workshop seems only tangentially related (at best) to solving the problems of so-called Title 1 students: subpar performance at school. I call what is needed "parental involvment" (others call it good parenting), which means that parents have high expections for their children, regardless of income, and inform their children in no uncertain terms that they are expected to work hard at school and to abide by reasonable standards of behavior. To take this one step further, and give you some specifics, parents need to do basic things like ensuring that homework is done and that kids go to bed at a decent hour so that they are rested. Finally, like most things in life, it is up to the children to come to school and work hard. Like virtually everything in life, you get from education what you put into it. I don't think we need trips to Title I conference to instill these values.

Piggybacking on what WellUAsked said, School Improvement Team meetings are considered open meetings and minutes are supposed to be available upon request. Ask for a copy. Personally, I think the School Improvement Teams should not even wait to be asked for the minutes. They should take it upon themselves to post the minutes in a public place. More transparency is better.

Also, parent representatives are not supposed to be appointed by the principal. They are supposed to be elected by the largest parent organization in the school. Re-educate your
principals--they know these rules. You can find information on the statute here:

http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_115C/GS_115C-105.27.html

You can also find more information about NCLB, Title I, AL, EC and much more at this link:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/parents/laws/

Check out the rest of the site, too--it's interesting and informative.

Paul said: I don't think we need trips to Title I conference to instill these values.

You are being condescending and maybe a tad insulting, Paul. I'm sure the parents who want to go to the Title I conference already have these values--I'm sure they already ensure that homework is done and that children get to bed at a decent hour. What's next for them in your book of appropriate parental involvement? Baking cookies?

I suppose you think only members of the school board, GCS administration, or school staff should attend Title I conferences? You sound pretty paternalistic to me.

Again, I hope we don't get too sidetracked on the conference question and forget the more germane point that these parents should be encouraged and welcomed into the schools. These parents are trying to do precisely that. Would anyone really fault them for that?

Thoughts:

It certainly was not my intention to be condescending to anyone. I hope that you will find that that is not my style. I am, however, very honest about what I see in the world, and will challenge what I see as being wrong or failing. For too long we have refused to acknowledge the truth of what is right in front of us.

Parents should be welcomed in our schools and encouraged to be part of it. The strongest schools are the ones with a lot of parental involvment. I am for openness and transparency in our schools. If parents ask a question, they deserve an answer, even if it is not the answer they were looking for.

I must say, however, I disagree with your premise, i.e., that the Title I parents are doing everything they are supposed to do to ensure their children are ready for school. If all the parents were doing what we need them to do, we would not be having the problems that we have and we would not have so many children failing. As former Mayor Jim Melvin said last night at a forum, when describing how we got to where we are, children used to have "something at home". That something is parents who push them to be the best that they can be. This is one of the "truths" that we need to deal with. There simply is no program that we can devise that will take the place of parents.

Very truly yours,

Paul Daniels

Thank you, Paul, for your thoughtful response.
Yes, I agree that the strongest schools are generally the ones that have the strongest parental involvement. And, yes, I certainly think that parents need to make sure their children do their homework, eat healthy meals and go to bed at a decent hour.

However, I did not say that all Title I parents "are doing everything they are supposed to do to ensure their children are ready for school." But, I would venture an educated guess that the parents who are interested in attending this conference already are fulfilling those duties. We don't need to preach to these parents. They are willing to be part of the solution.

I am not going to beat this horse much more (sorry, Allen) but that Title I conference may be very beneficial and one step toward that solution. Over the years, I've been to conferences that more than pay back the registration fee and travel per diem in good, solid information and ideas. I've been to some bad conferences too--all conferences need to be judged on their own merit. We shouldn't be having kneejerk reactions like, "Oh, my god, those Title I parents just want a vacation.
Where's my conference?" That just does such a disservice to those parents and it's insulting to boot.

We must create parent leaders in each school.
The onlyway to do that is to educate parents. These parents are ready for the next step. Don't relegate them to chairing the next annual fundraiser . Enable them to help other parents in their schools.

We may have to agree to disagree, Paul.
With all due respect, from my perspective, you are being paternalistic.

“If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people”

-Chinese proverb

Thoughts:
I agree. As far as I can tell, these are model parents.

When people say the GCS is underserving poorer students I want them to reconsider based on the following information.
I work in an early intervention program. I see many children who are not ready to enter school at 5 years old.
If you want the K,1,2,3,etc student to achieve at a higher rate you must first make up for deficiencies during the first 5 years of life.
Learning does not begin in Kdg. It starts at birth. To not consider this is to deny all the research on the importance of early learning.

If the Title 1 office did not notify DPAC about the parent development conference why would the board request for the Title 1 office select the 4 parents. Why would the schools recommend in there Parent Involvement Plans to send parents to School Safety or Raising the Achievement Gap Conferences in lieu of recommending conferences that are focus on "Parent Development".

If laws indicate that these funds may be used for parent development - Does the community not understand that for years these same Title 1 funds have been used at schools to send staff to conferences, supplement salaries and used the way staff recommend to use it for. Perhaps that is why the district is fighting so hard against the community/parents in case someone asked for the full district Title 1 budget.

Lets consider "not" purchasing another software like Compass Learning and use those funds for more meaningful purposes.

From reading the summary of the DPAC minutes that the district did this does not appear to represent a parent lead group

http://www.gcsnc.com/depts/title1/pdfs/ENG-SPAN%20Meeting%20Summary%20September%2010,%202008.pdf

In response to the September 29th postings, and those directly surrounding them, I must chime in regarding the idea that "Title 1" parents (whether single parents, married, guardians, etc.) do not care about their students' education. Oftentimes these men and women are working hourly jobs (possibly two or three jobs) and they cannot afford to take time off of work to be at every meeting, or even be home when the student gets in from school. This would take money away from their personal finances (i.e. rent and groceries), and that is simply not an option. Both kids and parents must first have a home and food before they can do all of these other great things people are suggesting. To attend these much needed seminars, they would need to take time off work and spend their limited money. I am sure they would love to do this, but who will pay their bills and feed their families? Who are we to say that these parents care any less about their child's education? Do you know them? Have you walked in their shoes? Be careful when you start throwing stones indiscriminately, you have left out some of the very important factors in "poorer" families struggle to make ends meet. Education is hugely important, but these children must first have a home and food to eat.

There are some serious cultural problems in America that create these stark socio economic divides, and these must change before we can indiscriminately blame parents for not having the time to do what others with greater resources are able to do.

That said, one blogger asked why the county could not use a portion of the money that was requested to have such conferences or seminars here in Greensboro. That is a wonderful idea, and it should be the focus of any activist group seeking to better parent involvement in this county.

Also, many blatantly accost "Title 1 parents" as those that are failing their children and failing to provide them a good education. How many of you have sat in a Title 1 classroom, with 28-35 students and 1 teacher? This is completely unfair, and it is the system's fault. If you do any research into the most successful private schools, the teacher to student ratio is somewhere around 1:15 or less. There is a serious discrepancy between what the research says is needed for learning, and what we see in our classes. Can anyone really say that the system is not somewhat at fault for this? How can anyone blame a parent for this inconsistency? It is difficult (extremely difficult) for even the best student to excel in such a challenging classroom environment.

Still, where will the money come from to provide for such low teacher: student ratios? Many Title 1 documents note that ratios should be quite low, but this rarely happens in practice because the facilities and faculty are simply insufficient to provide this. I hate to simply harp on the problems, but what is a solution? I struggle to find it.