Focus on Health Care Should not Eclipse Focus on Education

Focus on Health Care Should not Eclipse Focus on Education

Of course the health of a society should be a universal concern of any nation. But I am concerned that the nation is so focused on health care right now, on debating legislation and combating H1N1 that we are losing time. The education debate seems stalled. Spending time worrying about H1N1 is not going to do anything to change the situation… education and preventative courses of action will. There always will be natural and man-made disasters that grab the headlines and tug at the heart of humanity diverting our focus from the ongoing issues. We cannot let important issues slip off the desk because a pressing issue has surfaced. In times of instant communication we must be principled and reasoned in our responses, global in our reference and in the end, do what is just and right for the greater good of humankind. I am afraid that a knee jerk reaction to the news allows the most crucial issue to slip out of sight….and that issue is education. In the end game education will prove to be humanity’s saving grace. In 2002, the Clarence J. Gamble Professor of Economics and Demography at Harvard University, David Bloom, eloquently outlined the importance of higher education in the time of a rapidly moving globalized society:

First, higher education is essential to promoting sustainable human
development and economic growth. It is no longer a luxury that only rich
countries can afford, but an absolute necessity for all countries, and
especially for poor countries.

Second, the pressures of globalization make it urgent that we devote
substantially more resources to the tertiary education sector, and that we
also reform it at both the level of individual institutions and the system as
a whole.

Third, good ideas are not enough – focusing on implementation is at least as
important as policy design. The harsh realities of taking an idea to the field
and bringing it to scale must be considered in the design of policy (Bloom,
2002).

Professor Bloom’s points are important and should be heeded. Higher education is imperative for the future. Yet there is another concern that needs to be addressed- the number of children who are not being educated at all. UNICEF published the following statistics, revealing that globally millions of children are not even receiving a primary education.

Numbers of primary-school-age children not in school (in millions)


Sub- Saharan Africa Boys 21.6 Girls 23.8 Total 45.4
Middle East and North Africa Boys 3.7 Girls 5.1 Total 8.8
South Asia Boys 18.7 Girls 23.6 Total 42.3
East Asia and Pacific Boys 5.2 Girls 4.9 Total 10.0
Latin America and Caribbean Boys 1.8 Girls 1.5 Total 3.3
Central and Eastern Europe,
theCommonwealth of IndependentStates
and the Baltic States Boys 1.3 Girls 1.6 Total 2.9
Industrialized Countries Boys 1.4 Girls 1.2 Total 2.6
World Boys 53.8 Girls 61.6 Total 115.4

Source: UNICEF/UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2001/2002

How can it be that we are not educating in a time when we can twitter and tweet, have streaming video teleconferences in board rooms which connect people thousands of miles away, and know the importance of education? Yes, poverty is at the heart of the issue. People need the essentials, food, clothing and shelter. Also global health needs must be addressed. But if we as a global community cannot see that education needs to be a constant focus we will truly be lost.

The number of uneducated global citizens is staggering. Yet there are solutions! The World Bank points out that combining a focus on health as well as education fosters economic well-being:

Improving Delivery of Education and Health Services – The developing
countries that have gained the most from integrating into the world economy
have shown impressive gains in primary education and infant mortality. This
suggests that many countries have made investments in education and health
services that enable the poor to benefit from growth(World Bank 2003.

All school districts and educators should embrace the challenge to educate globally! As the world gets smaller and we are confronted with not just the problems that touch our neighborhood but that touch our world I ask teachers to reach out to children who are marginalized and beyond our school boundaries. Let us take distanced education, which is becoming a norm now in higher education, and let us make it a way to reach children who are presently outside of the academic circle. Collaboration is key. For the New Year let us make education a constant priority, an integral component of global initiatives in health care and anti-poverty legislations. An educated population is an empowered population that can help solve the world’s problems! Happy Holidays!



Bloom, D. E. (2002). Mastering globalization: From ideas to action on higher education reform. Globazation: What Issues are at Stake for Universites? Quebec, Canada: UniversiteLeval.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics,
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?URL_ID=3753&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201

The World Bank (2003). Globalization, growth, and poverty : building an inclusive world economy, Volume 1, Report 23519 http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTPRRS/EXTGGP/0,,ImgPagePK:64202988~entityID:000094946_0202020411335~pagePK:64212652~piPK:64212659~theSitePK:477826,00.html

Children Going to School Hungry

Everywhere we turn in September there are reminders that school is back in session. School buses shuttle children, back to school night postings are in the local paper and on billboards in front of schools and the neighborhood playgrounds are quieter. September also sparks media focus on school topics. There have been numerous articles on how the struggling economy has curtailed back to school spending and has caused many school systems to lay off teachers and scale back programming. Within the new economic struggles that our nation is facing there is one important issue that needs to be underscored and it trumps the lack of back to school spending, program cuts and even teacher lay offs, it is the growing number of children who are going to school hungry. Here is an example: One may think of Maine as a state with picturesque waterfront vacation cabins, and traditional cedarshake and shuttered houses in quaint fishing villages... Yet there is another snapshot of Maine, as reported by Bill Shore in the Kennebek Journal, that is not so pretty. “One in five Maine children lives in households facing hunger. Only 44 percent of children in Maine receive the free school breakfast for which they are eligible, and only 15.5 percent get summer meals when schools are closed. Between 2000 and 2005, Maine had the highest percentage growth rate of hungry people in the United States. More than one in eight Mainers uses food stamps”(2009).

As I conducted research for this article I realized that the scenario of children being hungry is a common one today in the US. It also became evident that hunger crosses ethnic, gender and geographic lines. Amanda Greene, in the Star News reveals that there are a startling 24.1 percent of children under five in North Carolina who are not receiving the proper nutrition. This article also contains an interactive map of the US showing state by state "food insecurity" statistics for children under five. The findings are alarming! The Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry organization is attempting to combat childhood hunger, they explain three ways that a community can help combat hunger in children. Teachers and schools are an obvious touchstone for both awareness and providing services. Teachers and schools can play a significant role by 1)increasing access to programs, 2)strengthening community ties and resources for these children, and 3)improving families knowledge about the availability of food programs and offering nutrition education. This organization also points out that "The reality is that more than 12.4 million children in America—that’s one in six—are at risk of hunger. And it’s likely that these children will endure lifelong consequences as a result of having limited access to nutritious foods." As individuals we should look to help our local food banks by donating funds or food and volunteering where we can. A hungry child cannot concentrate- schools should concentrate their efforts on eradicating this problem! Let's all do what we can.

The Sad Ending of Reading Rainbow

My thirty one year old son, who is the founder of The Millions, a literary website, sent me an email lamenting that PBS has canceled Reading Rainbow after 26 years. As a child his love of reading and writing were sparked by weekly trips to the public library and also by watching Reading Rainbow, a show that introduced books and created excitement around those books. With LeVar Burton leading the way each episode escorted young viewers on a new adventure that took them into a different book. The show linked language to visualization and imagination! In recent years the show developed a wonderful companion website that includes an alphabetized list of book reviews, resources for parents and teachers, a young writers contest and other interesting and useful tools for teaching and learning about books.

At a time when one out of every seven adults in the US has low literacy skills and the National Council on Teachers of English Standards for the English Language Arts reflect that in order to be a fully participating member of society and the workplace citizens will need ever more powerful literacy abilities that currently escape a large majority of the US population, it is TRAGIC that Reading Rainbow is going off the air. Even though Reading Rainbow garnered twenty four Emmy awards, the network cites lack of funding as causing its demise. I am perplexed by this decision, let me see... Antiques Road Show or Reading Rainbow? What grandma's vase is worth or inspiring a child to read? Apples and oranges. But it seem that the oranges have a more compelling reason to carry on! In PBS's own words "its [Reading Rainbow's] intent was to send children to libraries looking for information about the high interest topics presented. In its 20-plus years of existence and 150 programs, Reading Rainbow has managed to maintain these goals yet become one of the top-rated television programs in classrooms for instructional purposes"(PBS 2005). Why pull the plug on a winner, why take away a show that had a positive influence on school aged children?

If you would like to see Reading Rainbow resurrected, here is a link to find your local PBS contact information
Please join me in writing, calling and emailing to let PBS know that inspiring a love of reading in young people is priceless!

For those who may not know Reading Rainbow you can view a clip from the first program in 1983 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhXcAxVYbjE


Entry dedicated to C. Max Magee.

Universal Design for Learning and the Arts

“I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they're interested in” (Bill Gates).

Last week I had the pleasure of being a guest online lecturer for a Universal Design for Learning course hosted by The George Washington University in Washington, DC. I would like to share with you a mini-lecture on the arts and Universal Design for Learning that I posted during the online discussion. I hope that this information will continue to spark ideas and conversation.

A book that made a profound impact upon my life was Howard Gardner’s, Theory of Multiple Intelligences. I read it and thought …he understands what it is to be an artist…he understands that there are multiple view points and they can all be valued..he understands that honoring multiple intelligences will lead to a full picture of a topic as informed by a confluence of the intelligences of multiple learners. I found his ideas liberating in my art studio allowing my elementary and middle school students to bring their sensitivity their unique way of knowing something to each project. Collaboratively we decided to drastically move away from uniform outcomes, students were encouraged to create from their hearts, what they saw, how they saw, how they felt and experienced their world. Below are paintings of “The Essence of a Bicycle” painted by fifth grade students.

The Essence of a Bicycle




As a lifelong artist and elementary and middle school art teacher I took it for granted that the integration of tools for learning and learning itself were so intertwined that they created transparent processes in the studio. For example, one could see the progress by watching the student mix colors, use brushes, start with a blank canvas and gradually create a painting, which connected their internal thoughts with the external world. Four years ago I took a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) course. I realized that there was a synergy between the art studio and UDL and I began exploring ways to embed the use of technology both as a teaching and learning tool and a modality of expression into my art classes. What developed was a practice in my art studio where students were free to use the computer, scanner and printer as touchstones of innovation to explore and gather information by visiting various websites, to plan and create artwork and even sound-scapes. This technology provided content, inspiration and a platform for creating. Even video games, many of which have negative reputations, were used to spark discussion about art technology and censorship. Technology in my view pushes the boundaries of learning in studio beyond the walls! It offers paperless, instantaneous communication, access to information, artistic creative capabilities once thought unimaginable, virtual realities, a new language of knowing and a platform for educating that asks us to re-examine the traditional modes of teaching and learning. An example of art and technology used for teaching physics is found in the visual applets created at MIT for use in thier freshmen physics studio. They are beutiful to look at and create artistic images of what is scientific truth but is invisible to our eyes. Art and technology marry to make visible the invisible!! I have linked to
“The Falling Ring with Finite Resistance". What a beautiful work of art and valuable teaching tool!

Perhaps a confluence of technology and the arts may offer great promise in helping to solve the dropout epidemic in our country. Much educational research has been done on the reason high school students are dropping out"(Bridgeland, DiIlulio, & Burke Morison, 2006). Reasons cited for dropping out include that school lacks relevance to a student’s life and real world challenges, that no one takes a personal interest in the student and that it is too hard to attend school and deal with issues of life outside of school. Further, student engagement research has illuminated what is needed to keep students engaged in school (Sharan, S. & Tan, I.G.C. 2008). Student engagement as defined by Sharan and Tan goes beyond “motivation to learn” it must take into account “student interest, attachment to school achievement motivation, self-regulated learning, commitment to learning, and/or the investment of energy in learning in general” (p. 41). Further supporting this definition studies have shown that students who were placed at risk by circumstance became engaged in school through collaborative group project-based learning where the teacher was actively engaged with the students and the students felt a personal connection to their teacher (Kuh, 2007; Means & Knapp, 1991).

Universal Design for Learning offers foundational tenets for truly egalitarian education where no one is marginalized by being labeled as having “special needs or exceptional needs” rather, UDL widens the circle so that every learner is considered unique and has a full compliment of accommodations offered to them to support a holistic educational experience. Accommodations become invisible, embedded in the classroom and integrated into the way we teach and learn. In this same way the art studio classroom allows project based learning and portfolio assessment to be the norm. Students work collaboratively and the teacher becomes a facilitator or guide. Both models move away from lock step “one size fits all” curriculum and instruction mode to a classroom which allows the student to take control of their learning by integrating rich and varied tools that allow for multiple ways of showing knowledge. The studio and UDL embedded technology break down the barrier between teacher and student by making the teacher a facilitator and guide while the student takes active control of their learning. As posted of the Arts Ask for more website the benefits of arts education are listed:


-The arts make a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and have been proven to help level the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries
(Involvement in the Arts and Success in Secondary School, James S. Catterall, The UCLA Imagination Project, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA, Americans for the Arts Monograph, January 1998).
Has a measurable impact on at-risk youth in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in after school and summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency prevention (YouthARTS Development Project, 1996, U.S. Department of Justice, National Endowment for the Arts, and Americans for the Arts).
The National Universal Design for Learning Task Force states the benefits of UDL:
*UDL improves educational outcomes for ALL students by ensuring meaningful access to the curriculum and accurate skill and knowledge assessment. In addition UDL complements existing school reform initiatives.
*Provide multiple and flexible methods of presentation to give students with diverse learning styles various ways of acquiring information and knowledge.
*Provide multiple and flexible means of expression to provide diverse students with alternatives for demonstrating what they have learned, and
*Provide multiple and flexible means of engagement to tap into diverse learners' interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn (CAST, hosted by The Advocacy Institute, 2009.

Ultimately UDL and the arts together offer a way of pursuing social justice in our classrooms by opening up possibilities for providing teaching, learning and assessment in multi-modalities. The environment created by an art studio that embraces UDL to teach all disciplines would offer every student access to the general curriculum and fair assessment methods. It further would offer pro-social benefits of peer instruction and opportunities for students with disabilities and students who have been marginalized because they cannot attend school because of a disability or circumstances to participate fully through technology. It is up to the teachers to move the current discourse in education away from top down mandates of high stakes testing that marginalize some students towards systemic change which is student-centric addressing the learning styles and needs of all students. UDL and the way students learn in the art studio may hold the key to a level educational playing field!

So I ask you as educators to ponder the following questions:

In the current educational climate in the United States, which focuses on high stake testing, what are your thoughts on UDL and the art studio?

Do you think there is a possible bond between the arts and UDL?

What is the role of the educator, student, school administrators, legislators in embracing such systemic change as adopting UDL and arts based practice as the norm?

What challenges do we face in an attempt at such change?

Do you have a story to share about UDL and arts based practice in your school that would add to the discussion.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on UDL and the arts.

Dr. Christine Morano Magee

Is Listening to an Audio Book Reading?

As the lazy days of July slip into the dog days of August in Washington, DC I begin to feel the anticipation of the upcoming school year. There are many tasks that need to be done to get ready for the teaching I will be doing this fall. Also there is my professional research and writing that takes up much of my day. Yet there is something that I need to do for pleasure each day, yes- need to do…read. So for at least an hour a day I move away from my desk and find a comfy chair, put my feet up, put on my headphones and read. When I read at home I have the book in front of me while I listen. This summer I read/listened to, A Mercy by Toni Morrison, The Lakota Way by Joseph M. Marshall III, and I am in the middle of re-reading/listening to for the first time 1984 (last time I read it was in high school before 1984) by George Orwell. Audio books have become a part of my life- sometimes I do not have the book in front of me and simply listen. The impact has been stunning! Last year while commuting in my car I listened to the 900 pages of Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, a tome I always intended to read which I don’t think I would have had the stamina or time to read without the assistance of listening. I also listened to The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers; it was so well read that the voices transported me to the south in the 1930’s. Listening to books has brought a new dynamic and accessibility to reading that I never knew with just printed versions. I read for pleasure more than I ever did before!

We all may agree that books on tape, for an adult who has good reading skills is fine- but what about students who are having difficulty reading?


Fifteen years ago I was advocating for a third grade student diagnosed with a visual processing disability the educational psychologist recommended audio books as an accommodation. The family was able to get all the students schoolbooks on audiotapes through Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. Both the student and his parents were excited about the audio books. The parents felt that it would make homework easier and their child would be less frustrated about school. The child always read along in the printed version of the book while listening. The parents noticed that although the child was not doing that much better in school he was happier about going to school and they had seen little successes that made a big impact on their child. The child was delighted to get through his reading assignments, which he rarely finished in the past. In a conference the classroom teacher was against the use of audio books, “This is cheating, if your son listens to the books he is not reading. Even with the audio books at home he is still not reading at grade level.” The mother asked what the child was supposed to be getting out of language arts and the teacher pulled out a chart from her notes and read, a) to improve reading skills, b) to improve vocabulary, c) to understand the structure of a story, d) to be exposed to new ideas and experiences through books e) to understand fiction and non-fiction by developing concrete and abstract thinking skills. The mother argued that listening to a book, while following along and reading, enhanced the reading experience for her son. “He used to struggle to read and now he enjoys putting on his headphones and listening.” Although that teacher and mother did not see eye to eye, her son discovered in third grade that he was a very strong auditory learner. Today, as a successful college graduate he still listens to audio books and has become an avid reader. Times have changed and most teachers would agree there are benefits to using audio books in the classroom.

I am convinced that audio books can assist students through the frustrations of the mechanics of reading and allowed them to “break through” and understand the joy of reading! Madeline L’Engle, author of children’s classics,stated the reason clearly in her own reflections on language. She illuminates the importance of language found through reading.
“The more limited our language is, the more limited we are; the more limited the literature we give to our children, the more limited their capacity to respond, and therefore, in their turn, to create. The more our vocabulary is controlled, the less we will be able to think for ourselves” (1972, p. 149).

This is why we should make books available to struggling readers who may not be able to get through them using only traditional reading methods. Audio books keep struggling readers from falling behind because they are tangled in the mechanics and may be missing the content, vocabulary building and most importantly development of active thinking skills. My opinion as an educator is that even today we need to discuss moving away from a strict definition of reading. I also believe that multi-modal reading instruction, where technology can support reading skills is important for all students especially those with disabilities.

How we achieve this in our classrooms leaves room for discussion.

Is listening to an audio book reading or a new way of reading?

Are there still teachers who resist using audio books? If so why?

Are there creative ways to use audio books in the classroom to assist all students?

Does your school library or classroom offer audio book technology for all students?

What are your feelings on audio books?


There are many free technologies available to assist teachers and parents in accessing audio books. I hope that you will find the resources and articles listed below helpful and I would love to hear your ideas about how you use audio books and what your experiences have been in using them personally and for teaching.


Resources:

Bradshaw, T., Nichols, Kelly, K. and Bauerlein M. (2004, June). Reading At Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, Research Division Report #46 Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, online at http://www.nea.gov/pub/ReadingAtRisk.pdf.

Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST http://www.cast.org/products/index.html

Free Audio Books and Text: http://www.free-books.org/children.php


Koffoff, P. B. (2002). Why teachers need to be readers. Gifted Child Today, 25(2) 50-57.

L'Engle, M. (1972). A quiet circle. San Francisco: Harper & Row.


Raskind, M. H. & Higgins, E. L. (1999). Speaking to read: The effects of speech recognition technology on the reading and spelling performance of children with learning disabilities. Annals of Dyslexia, 49, 251-281.
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, 800-221-4792 (RFB&D). http://www.rfbd.org/

ReadPlease: Text to Speech Software: http://www.readplease.com/

Serafini, F. (2004). An Educator’s Guide to Utilizing Audiobooks in the
Classroom Excerpt from RHI: Reaching Reluctant Readers. New York: Random House. on line at: http://www.randomhouse.com/highschool/RHI_magazine/pdf/serafini.pdf

Education Key to Economic Future

Once upon a time there was a kingdom in the land of make believe that was in economic ruin. The king went to his three advisers for ideas on how to solve the problem. One adviser said, “I think we should put money into helping the shop owners because if they go out of business the face of our kingdom will look bad. We don’t want boarded up shops in our village.” Another adviser stated, “I think we should help the lords, who oversee the working of the land and the production of goods. If the lords go under, our kingdom will be sunk.” A third adviser sat for a long time and then said. “I think we need to look at the situation carefully, and not go for the quick solution, rather put together a long range plan.” The king thought this was a good idea. So the king set out with the third adviser and went from place to place listening to ordinary people in focus groups from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds and geographic areas. After listening to the people the king realized something profound. In the town square he made a speech which started: “If we don’t put money into education there will be no kingdom in the future.” The king decided that education needed to be the first thing funded in his stimulus package and this land over time became prosperous once again.

In fairy tales anything is possible and they usually end happily ever after. For a long time in the US we have ignored making connections between the economic crisis and our neglect of secondary education in our country. With dropout rates at staggering highs, and the US lagging behind in science, math and technology education, as well as learning foreign languages- how can we be surprised that our country is on shaky economic ground? Our current administration agrees that education is crucial to economic recovery. Unlike quick bailouts, education is not a band aid put on the economic crisis it is the long term cure!

This recovery is going to require hard decisions from the government. It is interesting that we bail out failing businesses but close failing schools. Perhaps the government should create a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for business, let us call it No Worker Left Behind (NWLB), where corporations would be required, with no loopholes, to meet adequate yearly progress, to have transparency, and full accountability for their actions. The corporation, under NWLB, would be obligated to treat each employee with respect, give them the tools they need to do their job and support them so that they can achieve to their highest personal ability.

No one should stand on the sidelines during a time of crisis, everyone should try to find a solution. This economic crisis should be a reminder to all teachers and school administrators that our task is of the highest importance to our nation: To educate students to become upstanding citizens who will use their talents to make society a better place. The news lately is filled with examples of highly educated people who decided that greed is greater than the greater good of our nation. May I suggest that the money recouped from corporate bonuses be put into education to help failing schools and... require those who are greedy in corporate America to go back to school to learn how to play well with others.

Parental Involvement in Our Schools

In 1959 when I started first grade my parents visited school exactly twice that year, once to attend Back to School Night and once to visit the classroom mid-year to meet with the teacher and be given my report card. At the end of the school year without fanfare we were dismissed. There were few opportunities, if any, for parents to volunteer in schools. Research shows that when parents are involved in their children's schools, both the schools and students benefit. The attached article reviews the research and illuminates the issues. Yes, parental involvement is a wonderful thing. Children are always excited to see mommy or daddy at school for a happy reason. They are usually proud and feel special to have a parent participate in their school day. As a teacher and a specialized tutor I remember that there were always a few parents at the ready, standing in the wings, who would bake cupcakes with two hours notice or drop everything and chaperone a field trip. There were parents who would sew costumes and put together sets for school shows, help transport students, come in and share their knowledge about a hobby or occupation and some who would cook hot dogs for a sporting event or head up a raffle or bake sale for the school. There were also parents, dreaded parents, who were ever present, who were sometimes overly involved in the lives of their children. Then there were parents who I never saw, never. When I inquired about these parents I heard they were “too busy to help out.” But I also knew that many of these parents were working, had other children at home, or aging parents who they were caretakers for. I remember one mom who had cancer and a dad who worked two jobs. There was also a grandmother who was the caretaker for her second grade grandson, there were no parents around. These parents and grandparents were stretched, some financially, some by time, some by emotional stresses and family responsibilities. They were not “too busy”- they were living complex lives and were not able to participate. Perhaps it is key to the success of all schools to find empathy for the parents and guardians of our students. As educators how do we engaged parents who have limited time and resources? How do we make these parents feel a valued part of the school community? How do we show that we care about them being a part of our lives?
This is a complex issue. I do not pretend to have the answer, just some thoughts. During the spring semester I had the pleasure to observe at School within School at Peabody, a DC Public School serving Pre-K and Kindergarten students. I was amazed at the parental involvement. I watched parents mulching the garden, bringing in recyclable materials for art projects, reading to the children, cleaning and organizing supplies or just visiting for an hour. When I asked why so many parents were at the school, participating in varied activities in varied ways the lead teacher said something that was profound. “Parents want to find a way to help their children’s school, but as a school you have to look outside of the traditional ways, you have to find out when and how it can happen.” I realized in that moment, that it is about teachers and administrators looking at the parents and guardians at their schools and taking the time to figure it out. It is very easy as teachers to always call on the moms and dads who are waiting in the wings to help, it is more of a challenge to figure out ways to engage parents who may feel marginalized or that they just don’t have the time or resources to share. This is not their problem, it is ours. So I hope that with a new school year getting underway teachers and administrators will take the time to contemplate and discuss how they can bring all parents into the volunteer circle. Making the circle wider will enrich everyone!
Some resources:
Education World
The National PTA
NCLB