Parents from seven schools came together on Saturday, 11/12, for a Parent Leadership Institute held by ACTION United, with Parent Power.  Parents shared concerns about resources, lack of college preparation, overemphasis on test-taking skills, and the need for greater parent voice in school decision making.

Shanee Garner, Co-Director of Education Policy at PCCY and a former District teacher, helped participants understand the challenges faced by schools with high teacher turnover rates.  Parents identified supports needed by these schools to retain teachers and improve student achievement:  meaningful professional development, community support, parent involvement, and more resources.  They went on to learn about District budgeting practices, which mask the fact that the District spends less money on teacher salaries in schools with less experienced teachers.  Those tend to be the same schools with more students living in poverty, and more students of color.

Parents also discussed School Advisory Councils, which give parents a voice on school budgets and other key decisions.

For information about future meetings, contact Elly Porter-Webb at ACTION United at 215-839-3390.  As one parent noted, “Advocacy is an action word.  We have to be consistently in motion.”

Our City Our Schools Website – November 16, 2011 – Read article online