Title: Parent U-Turn Parents Gathering and Sharing Information for Quality Schooling
1Parent U-TurnParents Gathering and Sharing
Information for Quality Schooling
2Who are we? And why are we here?
- Mary Johnson
- Emma Street
- Toimicia Deffebaugh
- Angelita Andrade
- Valerie Muñoz
These are our stories...
3Mary Johnson
- Parent, Leader, Activist, Politician
- I want to improve my skills as a woman organizer
in a male dominated field. - I want to become a better advocate for the kids
in our community. - I want to empower parents for students rights.
4Emma Street
- Parent, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Activist
- I hope to leave a legacy behind for future
generations.
5Toimicia Deffeeaugh
- Parent, Activist
- I want to help parents get involved in their
childrens education. - I want to give children positive guidance.
6Angelita Andrade
- Parent, Activist
- I want to walk my children through the journey of
their education and show them that I care about
their future. - I wont lose the faith before we make changes.
7Valerie Muñoz
- Parent, Activist
- I have many children going to public school and
it worries me that they wont be prepared for
their future. - I wont give up until I see a good change.
8Problem/Issue/Question
- South High has many problems that need to be
addressed by administrators, parents and
community members. These problems include low
test scores, low attendance, low teacher/child
ratio, and a low percentage of teachers with
credentials. Also, parent voices are not heard
at South High. - How do the conditions of LA schools affect
students academically and socially? - How can we change our community in order to
promote a safe and effective educational
environment for all students?
9Methods
- Surveys
- Parent observation check-list
- Observations
- Interviews with Principals
- Focus Groups
- Talked to parents at home schools
10Sample Survey Question
- Do you think your student is receiving an
education based on state standards?
11Findings Do you think your student is receiving
an education based on state standards?Yes 34
No 44 Dont Know 22
12Sample Survey Questions
- Does your childs school inform parents about
state standards?
13Findings Does your childs school inform
parents about state standards?Yes 35 No
50 Dont Know 17
14Sample Survey Questions
- Is your childs teacher fully credentialed?
15Findings Is your childs teacher fully
credentialed?Yes 32 No 22 Dont Know 49
16Sample Survey Questions
- Is the bathroom open and clean for students to
use all day?
17Findings Is the bathroom open and clean for
students to use all day?Yes 45 No 50 Dont
Know 9
18Parent Findings in Summary
- Parents say that the A - G curriculum is not
being taught. - Students say they have no access to counselors.
- Parents report that facilities, bathrooms, and
food are poor across the board. - Parents report that schools do not welcome parent
involvement. - Parents and students are intimidated by teachers
and administrators. - Parents dont know what a quality education is.
- Parents arent informed about California state
standards. - Parents don t know if their childs teacher has
a credential or not. - Parents dont know their rights or how to hold a
school accountable. - Schools dont inform students on college
preparation.
19Process Findings
- Parents are too busy to stop and fill out survey
- Parents are afraid/intimidated by surveys.
Surveys and research are foreign to them. - Principals and schools are reluctant to answer
questions and talk to parents. - Principals do not hold themselves accountable.
20Moving Ahead
- Sample School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
Teachers - Degrees Bachelors, Masters/Above,
- Experience School, District, New, 1-3 years, 4-6
years, 7-9 years, 10/more years. - Teaching within area of degree
- Teacher Average Daily Attendance
- Teacher Identified as Failing
- Teacher Turn Over Rate
- Parent Union
- Parent Curriculum Training
- Town Hall Presentation
- Letter to Superintendent Dr. Harold Cebrun
21What We Learned In Summary
- Credentialed teachers leave.
- State standards are not taught.
- Students arent learning and arent prepared for
college. - There is not a lot of parent involvement.
- A - G are not being taught.