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Parents “Learn the Law” at Annual United Parents Association Conference
By Tom Kertes
There
was one thing crystal clear about the 81st Anniversary Conference
of the United Parents Association (UPA): its purpose. “I know
why you’re here,” Steve Sanders, the chair of the Assembly Education
Committee, said in his opening remarks. “You’re here because you
care about public education and the 1.1 million students attending
public schools in New York City.
“We–those
interested in serving, benefiting, and improving public schools–are
going through a particularly difficult time right now exactly
because there is an array of strong, powerful forces out there
who want to divert our public tax money in order to serve the
interests of private or parochial education.
“Now
there’s nothing wrong with private schools–but we all know that,
no matter what happens, the reality remains that 80-90 per cent
of our children will go to public schools,” Sanders added. “So
our commitment must be to doing anything possible to support and
improve public education.”
UPA, the advocacy group consisting largely of parents involved
in PTAs, school leadership and other parent groups, profoundly
believes that “the best parent is an informed parent,” according
to conference participant Juliana Alvarez, who has a 14 year-old
son on the honor roll in Brooklyn’s Thomas E. Dewey High School.
“An all-day meeting such as this serves as an excellent tool for
parents to get informed –and get even more involved.”
The 700-plus attendees, though generally enthusiastic about the
new laws giving the mayor the power to run public schools–and
prohibiting the cutting of public school funds in order to balance
the budget–exhibited understandable confusion, and an enormous
hunger for information, throughout the days’ workshops. “We can
no longer afford to just sit back and complain,” said Robin Brown,
co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council. “Those days have
passed. That is no longer the conversation. We now have to inform
ourselves on the issues, ask questions–and then do whatever we
must to get satisfactory answers.”
Brown led the important “Parent Involvement Policy” workshop,
informing participants about the most salient points of the new
policy passed by the Board of Education last June 19. “For the
first time ever, there is an official acknowledgement on paper–in
fact, in contractual form–of the importance of parent involvement,”
she said. “Truth is, research shows that the best schools are
the ones where the parents are profoundly involved. So this document
aims to change attitudes, first and foremost. Parents now must
be welcome in schools, instead of being looked upon as a necessary
inconvenience. Schools now must develop specific communication
plans. On the other hand, now it becomes our responsibility to
educate ourselves on the details, and learn how and where and
whom to communicate with in the most effective manner within your
child’s school.”
The day’s other most popular workshop was aimed at educating participants
on the small print in President George W. Bush’s “No Child Left
Behind” federal legislation. In particular, “we must gain an understanding
as to which schools are entitled to Title I funds under the law,”
said Ailene Thompson, Chairperson, Title I, Region 2. “It must
be a SURR school, or a school designated for improvement, and/or
corrective action.” Title I entitles these schools to Federal
funds for supplemental services such as afterschool activities
and tutoring. “But, in order to benefit from the funds, the particular
children also must be below a certain income level,” warned Thompson.
“So we must be careful.
“Look
at the details. Study the law. Get on the Department of Education
website (www. NYSED. gov), do your research, do whatever else
you need to do to get informed. The services are out there. But,
without a doubt, the more you know about the law, the more your
child will have a real chance to benefit from it.”#
Education
Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001.
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