Many are familiar with Dr. Joyce Epstein’s “Framework of Six Types of Family Involvement”.  Joe Mazza (@Joe_Mazza) has summarized the framework well and provided information here.  In this framework, Type 1 is listed as “Parenting” with the following suggestions:

Assist families with parenting and child-rearing skills, understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home conditions that support children as students at each age and grade level. Assist schools in understanding families.

With the on-going discussions about the difference between parent involvement and engagement in education, I have been wondering about the extent to which schools and boards are interested in supporting this aspect of outreach to parents.

Are there appropriate ways to support this?  Are there aspects of Dr. Epstein’s “Type 1” that should have more priority?

Ontario’s mandated Parent Involvement Committees (PIC) have their purpose outlined in the Education Act.  Here is the stated purpose of these committees:

“The purpose of a parent involvement committee is to support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the board level in order to improve student achievement and well-being.” (O. Reg. 330/10, s. 6)

A parent involvement committee of a board shall achieve its purpose by,

(a) providing information and advice on parent engagement to the board;

(b) communicating with and supporting school councils of schools of the board; and

(c) undertaking activities to help parents of pupils of the board support their children’s learning at home and at school. (O. Reg. 330/10, s. 6.)”

Keeping in mind that these board-level committees are made up of parents, educators, community members and trustees, the legislation also provides some of the “how”:

“A parent involvement committee of a board shall,

(a) develop strategies and initiatives that the board and the board’s director of education could use to effectively communicate with parents and to effectively engage parents in improving student achievement and well-being;

(b) advise the board and the board’s director of education on ways to use the strategies and initiatives referred to in clause (a);

(c) communicate information from the Ministry to school councils of schools of the board and to parents of pupils of the board;

(d) work with school councils of schools of the board and, through the board’s director of education, with employees of the board to,

(i) share effective practices to help engage parents, especially parents who may find engagement challenging, in their children’s learning,

(ii) identify and reduce barriers to parent engagement,

(iii) help ensure that schools of the board create a welcoming environment for parents of its pupils, and

(iv) develop skills and acquire knowledge that will assist the parent involvement committee and school councils of the board with their work; and

(e) determine, in consultation with the board’s director of education and in keeping with the board’s policies, how funding, if any, provided under the Education Act for parent involvement as described in section 27 and clauses (a) to (d), is to be used. (O. Reg. 330/10, s. 6.)”

The focus to me does seem to be on parent engagement in student learning, as opposed to general parenting.  Or is this one in the same in some ways? As a member on a PIC, I am very hesitant to tell another parent how to parent.  But if a parent asks for a resource, I will do all that I can do to help them find it.  If the focus is about supporting student learning, what should that look like?  Is it about providing “Literacy Nights” or “Math Nights?  In what ways are parents included and interested in conversations and information about how kids learn or about the “big picture” questions in education?

Also, to what extent should parent engagement efforts be focused on Dr. Epstein’s other 5 types of family involvement–Communicating; Volunteering; Learning at Home; Decision-Making; and Collaborating with the community?

Ever since Ontario’s EQAO standardized testing began I recall assurances that the outcomes would not impact report card marks and classroom assessment. That seems to still hold true for Gr. 3 and 6 testing. However this is not the case for the Gr. 9 EQAO math testing. When my oldest child was in Grade 9 five years ago I was informed that the EQAO did allow for up to 5% of the test outcome to be factored into the course grade. I recall getting clarification on that at that time from the teacher and from an EQAO contact person. Now I am hearing that there has been a further change in this regard – it can now be counted up to 30% of the course mark. It seems to be at the discretion of the school and I have heard about ranges of 5-15% being decided upon and communicated to students and parents. When it was 5% I didn’t hear too much concern from other parents, but I have certainly heard more concern and questions now.

In looking closer at the EQAO website, I came across a research bulletin which confirmed the 0-30% range. It can be found here

It states that student survey results indicated that students were more motivated to take the EQAO tests seriously knowing that the outcomes could be a part of their course mark:

“The questionnaire results show that students’ knowledge of the EQAO assessment counting has the potential to improve results. Also, approximately 70% of students indicated that this knowledge increased their motivation to take the assessment more seriously.”

Below is the actual question I found from the survey and the results.

Does counting the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics as part of your class mark motivate you to take the assessment more seriously?

Here are the responses from students in the Applied Courses:

Yes (10 183) 71%

No (1 629) 11%

Undecided (2 321) 16%

No response/ambiguous response (174) 1%

Here are the responses from the students in the Academic Courses:

Yes (39 082) 74%

No (6 316) 12%

Undecided (6 880) 13%

No response/ambiguous response ( 514) 1%

Complete results of the student and teacher questionnaires can be found here

What seemed to start out like a small incentive for students to write this test has seemed to become something more. Even though students answered that this is “motivating”, does this make it a sound assessment and evaluation practice? Should we question a little deeper why almost 30% of students in each of the course pathways did not answer yes to the motivation question? Is it a good idea to continue with such “external motivators” for performance in the name of improved results on standardized testing?

I recognize that some conversations start with specific concerns and need specific strategies to address.  But in our busy schedules do we miss opportunities to help others realize the role that they could have to impact further problem-solving, change, or decision-making—whether a student, parent, teacher, community member?  We are all busy…..but are there other barriers too?

I also recognize that some conversations simply serve a need to vent.  A solution is not really necessary in an immediate way.  And this is okay.  But, if we are listening, venting can reveal misunderstandings about why something is in place and where the decision originated.  More opportunity….

As frustrating as it may be, we may only interact or have conversations with some individuals because of a concern or problem at hand.  So while we may listen and take steps to help solve the immediate problem, should we also remember as much as possible to see if there is an opportunity to continue the conversation at a later date to engage and empower individuals in proactive change that is needed?

Just as I was writing these thoughts, I saw an interesting quote shared in a tweet, “All solutions are in the very words by which people hide and confuse their problems.” (M. McLuhan, in The Executive as Dropout).  I am going to think on that one some more. In the meantime, I hope to be more on the lookout for examples of how proactive and positive change started with a conversation, concern, or question from someone.  I welcome others to share their experiences – whether you took the lead in this, or someone else helped you become more engaged in creating solutions and change in education or in your community.

Like both Heather and Tracy, there are many parents who have devoted much time and commitment to leadership volunteer roles in this area of education.  The knowledge about the education system and the history of parent involvement initiatives is tremendous when you put a few parents like them in a room or on a conference call!  Currently parents in these roles rely mostly on informal networking and connecting for support and the sharing of resources and strategies for problem-solving.

I think we are always looking for ways to share this knowledge, continue to support other parents support their children, as well bring together the experiences and perspectives of informed voices working within their communities.

Heather Robinson, Parent Involvement Committee Chair (2009 – 12),

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

When my oldest child started school, 14 years ago, I realized that for 6 hours a day, his teachers and other staff at the school would be a major influence on his life.  Considering that he slept for close to 11 hours a day back then, that meant 46% of his waking hours.  I wasn’t in a position to volunteer in the classroom on a regular basis, so I joined the School Council.

Joining School Council was an eye opening experience, as I became party to a great deal of information about the school and its priorities.  When I chatted with the parents of my son’s friends, I soon discovered that a great deal of that information was not common knowledge, so that started my quest to make sure parents were aware of what was going on at our school, and how they could influence policies and decisions.

Along the way I’ve held numerous positions on our School Council, Regional Council and our Board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC).  I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with educators, administrators and fellow parents who all share the belief that parent engagement matters.  I’ve also encountered a number of educators, administrators and sadly, parents who believe that parents have no place in the school unless they are fundraising.

One of the biggest barriers I see to parental involvement is a lack of a clear status for Parent Involvement Committees.  It’s wonderful that the Ministry of Education had regulated that each School Board must have a PIC, but how the PIC is treated is up to the individual School Boards.  I listen with envy to the relationship some of my fellow PIC chairs share with their School Boards, and with dismay to others.  At the recent People for Education conference, it was obvious that there is a huge gap between PIC’s, some are very well established, while others are having difficulty getting started.

If we really want to make a difference, we need to have a clear and common goal.  It’s not enough to say that we want to increase parent involvement, if we can’t define what parent involvement looks like, or how it is measured.

I’d love to see  a OAPIC – Ontario Association of Parent Involvement Committees, that meets regularly, if not in person then via teleconference or web conference, that shares ideas and presents a united voice to school boards and the Ministry of Education on how we, as parents, wish to see parental involvement in our schools.   If anyone else is interested in sharing my vision, please feel free to contact me.

****

Tracy Bachellier

Hamlet Public School Council – Recording Secretary (former Vice Chair & Chair)

Co-Chair – Stratford Regional School Council (SRSC)

Chair – Avon Maitland DSB Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) @AMParentvoice 

My neighbours are parents for the very first time today. With tears in our eyes, the five of us huddle around my husband’s blackberry trying to catch a glimpse of little Sarah.* At a worldly 12 years old, my eldest declares that she will be the first to hold Sarah. Without missing a beat, our almost 11 year old twins chime in that they have their babysitting course, too, and can hold Sarah. My husband and I can’t even look at each other without losing it as we instantly find ourselves back in the delivery room reliving the births of our own children, like it was yesterday…

And yet, in 4 years, Sarah and her parents will most likely be preparing for kindergarten. I wonder what education will look like then. I wonder what changes will take place in Ontario’s public education system over the next 5 years. Will there be a shift away from the current over-emphasis on grading, standardized testing, accountability and the ideology of homework? Will Sarah have the opportunity to be an active participant in her own learning? Will her desire to learn be motivated by creativity, active exploration, in-depth inquiry and discovery? Will she be challenged to develop and apply her knowledge using critical thinking, evaluation and problem solving skills? Or will she find herself limited by a predetermined, standardized curriculum for all? Will she be able to engage, connect and share her learning on a global level? Will Sarah be inspired to learn, not just for the sake of learning, but for the love of learning?

And what opportunities will there be for Sarah’s parents to be active participants in her education? Will they be valued as partners in education and encouraged to be part of the dialogue? Will there be opportunities to not only be involved, but truly engaged alongside educators; contributing, collaborating and sharing their knowledge, experiences and perspectives? And when I say educators, I include all educators: from teachers, assistants, principals, superintendents, trustees to school board staff, ministry, government…all stakeholders in education.

And parents are educators, too. A parent is a child’s first teacher. And that does not have to end once a child begins school. It should continue to grow and evolve with new parent, teacher, school and community relationships; relationships that are strengthened by engaging in meaningful dialogue, mutual respect, trust and collaboration.

Parents, students and educators ALL matter in education. They are the foundation of education. Not top down, mandated, knowledge-based instruction to measure accountability according to an arbitrary, standardized Provincial percentile. Parent, student and educator partnerships form a foundation, a “triad of trust in education” if you will; a foundation that can strengthen schools and communities, possibly even entire education systems…or tear them apart. There must be continued support, resources and respect for all parents, students and educators as engaged partners in education.

This is what has kept me going over the last 8 years. Why I keep doing what I do at the school, regional and board level. Because I believe so passionately that we are all learners with a shared goal…our children’s education. And it’s getting easier to collaborate and share our thoughts, ideas, practices, knowledge, research, experiences and more. Technology and social media have had a huge impact in education and I believe it will continue to effect positive change in our system. Through personal learning networks (PLN’s) I have seen the engagement and enhanced collaboration between educators and parents across the globe. There is much we can learn from one another. Collectively, we need to truly embrace that and continue working together…continue taking the necessary steps that guide us forward and drive education improvement. And this is where I see the future of leadership and parent engagement.

As for Sarah and her family, I hope that in 4 years the school doors are open and inviting. I hope that Sarah’s parents are welcomed as valued and respected voices in their child’s education. I hope for an enriching education experience for her and her family. I hope for a strong foundation of relationships and partnerships in education that nurture a love of learning in Sarah, to last her a lifetime.

And so I will continue to volunteer, advocate for parent engagement and strive for all that I hope for, not just for Sarah, but for my own children and for all children. Because for me, the future of public education is looking bright. And I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

*Out of respect and privacy for my neighbours, I have changed their daughter’s name

****

Thank you, Heather and Tracy, for guest blogging here to share your insight and vision ahead for parent engagement. Wow!  Feel free to leave questions or comments for these two visionaries, or connect with them on Twitter!  You will also find Tracy’s vision posted on her blog as well: http://bachwords.blogspot.com/

]]> http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/leadership-and-visions-for-parent-engagement-part-2/feed/ 2 sais44 http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/i-hope-i-am-proven-right-on-this/ http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/i-hope-i-am-proven-right-on-this/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:34:53 +0000 SStewart http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/?p=237 […]]]> I was pleased to see Joe Bower (@joe_bower) provide some information on a recent post that gave an example of just how long dialogue has been going on regarding the nature of learning and thinking processes supported in schools.

See his reference to a 1961 letter to the editor here.

I often hear that ideas and philosophies cycle in education, and possibly every 20 years or so.  Are these calls to shift the focus cyclical, or have they always been “out there”?  I am leaning towards the latter.

I was well aware of these questions and concerns in the 90s, and now well again, 20 or so years later.  I am thinking there may be a few factors that thwart the fruition of changes for schooling and education, whether the ideas are cyclical or consistently “out there”.

But, I have had some renewed hope.  We have social media now.  And not so much about social media itself, but how it is being used to enhance outreach and dialogue with others about education.  Chris Wejr (@MrWejr) wrote about the same recently, “It is not social media that is changing education, it is the people involved in education who are collaborating by sharing great ideas and challenging others to continue to grow as learners.”  His full post here.

Even after only one year of interacting on Twitter and reading blogs by educators and parents, it seems clear to me that there is no shortage of passion, commitment, talent, and motivation to transform schools into environments that support relevant, personal learning and foster thinking skills needed for life-long learning and problem-solving.  Through social media we have become more in touch with others working towards change in education and implementing strategies to do so.  This increased awareness and learning from others impacts our local work and personal situations, and inspires us.  But can it continue to grow bigger than that?  Are there other ways that we should be using it to support broader changes that we want to see and be a part of?

I am hoping that the impact of social media connecting makes up for what may have been missing in the past to implement changes in education.  I hope I can be proven right that social media will help stop some of the cycling of missed opportunities to transform schooling and education to be relevant to student learning and our world.  I am sure we could wait it out for inevitable change, but is the opportunity to build and create more cohesive changes here right now?

Create it or wait?

“Reason is the only way to change what we’re creating……but reason sometimes turns into another word for waiting….” (lyrics from, “Stop, I don’t want to hear it anymore”  by Melanie Safka)

With each annual provincial People for Education conference I attend, I have had the opportunity to meet many passionate individuals and parents who have been involved in advocating for children, communities, and public education for many years.  It is reassuring to know that others have committed many hours of volunteer time invested in helping other parents navigate the education system and support those who may not be able to. Many do this with a commitment that is truly remarkable.  And while there are few awards and recognition opportunities for this volunteer role in education, the work continues.

There are plenty of links and resources that I could post about these committees and their mandates and structure, but the intent of this blog post, and a subsequent post to follow, is to offer a way for others to hear about the work and different responsibilities that a few parents have had in their roles as chairs of these committees that support parent engagement in education.  There are 72 school boards in Ontario which would each require a parent as chair of these board level committees to support their district.

It is my pleasure to have Birgit Knoll-McArthur (@BirgMac) and Arlene Morell (@Arleie) share and reflect on their experiences regarding this role in each of their districts:

Birgit Knoll-McArthur, My Boys’ Mom

PIC chair (2009-2011), Superior-Greenstone District School Board.

As a parent of a 20 year old university student, and a 17 year old grade 12 High School student, parent involvement has taken me on a path, which started when my first son entered elementary school. Since then my involvement has grown from being a member of school council in various roles including chair for many years at the elementary and secondary level, to being chair of our Board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC). I am part of a Northern Board, which faces declining enrolment, is geographically enormous, and consists of 17 “small” schools.

The objective to being involved simply was “just wanting to know what was going on at the school”,

As I have given my time as secretary, treasurer, vice chair, chair, PIC member, and PIC chair, I have learned about Ministry initiatives, Board initiatives, changes of policies, by-laws, school improvement plans, development of resources, action plans, and many more useful tools to help parent engagement.

My objective is still the same. I still “just want to know what is going on at the school.”

Although school councils and PICs have evolved and changed over the past years, some of the issues remain the same and there is still much work to be done to be as effective as Parent Engagement can and should be.

The Ministry has mandated school councils and PICs to be established. Guidelines, hand books, policies, and tool kits have been researched and drafted with the help of various groups and stakeholders. Grants are being offered for initiatives to encourage parent engagement. However, these grant applications take much time, energy and effort, which parent volunteers often have not available.

As I have been involved, several challenges still remain, which are close to my heart: Respect, Communication, and Compensation.

All members of the school community need to respect each other, to be able to achieve common goals. Students need to respect teachers, teachers need to respect administration, parents need to respect teachers, and vice versa. From my own experience and from conversations with other parent leaders, the respect parent volunteers deserve is often lacking. Are parents too often seen as a stumbling block? If so, why?

Communication between administration and school councils has to be improved in order to reach parents and provide the necessary information. School councils must have Board contact info provided, and the Board must have updated school council info available. And use it in a timely fashion. Why do some councils get the info and resources, and others are still unaware?

When mentioning compensation, a future action plan should include a Ministry funded full – time board position(s) as Parent Engagement Coordinator. This coordinator would provide consistency, experience with school councils and/or PIC, time and opportunity to help coordinate parent involvement initiatives and events at individual schools, as well as energy and creativity needed to get and keep parents engaged.

In my eyes, parent involvement and parent engagement are just as important to student achievement as the rest of the school community involvement is, and it must be recognized as such.

****

Arlene Morell, Parent Engagement Advocate

Thames Valley District School Board PIC, Founder and Chairperson 2006-2011

Parent Involvement Committees (PIC) are at best parent driven, parent organized, and founded on the involvement of parents for parents. PIC’s have a similar focus much like school councils to “enhance the accountability of the education system” and promote the involvement of parents, both at the local and system level. Fundamental to the work of parent involvement and engagement is the evidence based definition for the involvement of parents in education, and the incorporation of this definition into the core work of the committee.

Parent involvement is defined as parents as participants whereas parent engagement is defined as parents as partners therefore  implies a true partnership between parents and educators in that each takes an equal responsibility for student outcomes. Parent engagement occurs in the relationships of both partners in welcoming and respecting the knowledge and expertise that each brings to the partnership.

I have a vision for parents as partners with education in the province of Ontario; I refer to this vision as a new vision of parent engagement and leadership, which is defined by the original concept for parent partnerships in the context of school councils. Today I am a parent engagement advocate because someone took the time to invest in me, saw the potential for partnerships with parents, provided the information relevant to the system of education and encouraged leadership development.

I speak to parents and school councils, developed the PIC Networking Google Group, along with developed parent leadership training in the context of effective school councils and parent engagement.  Although my children have recently graduated from the public education system (my daughter attends Kings College, UWO and my son has successfully completed a Skilled Trade Apprenticeship), I still see myself as a champion for public education and the role parents have as engaged partners in public education. At the local level, my community still embraces the leadership, knowledge and expertise I have developed over the past 15 years.  I continue to be called upon to assist and support parents and school councils focus on their purpose of enhancing the accountability of the education system and promoting parent involvement.

I didn’t get to where I am overnight, since the release of funding (Parent Involvement fund and PRO Grants) in 2005-2006 to support the purpose and core work of school councils; I have developed firsthand knowledge of the expanded focus and actions of school councils beyond fundraising and coffee with the principal.

Changes still to be made in order to see the full outcomes for students through parent involvement and engagement. For the meaningful success of school councils and PIC’s a paradigm shift towards parents as assets must occur. True parent engagement focuses on the actions of parents in their home and parents as leaders in schools. Parent leadership focuses on parents as assets, the shared responsibility for student success with schools councils and PIC the leadership councils/committees as the strength based collaborative approach that will see results for students, schools, boards and the Ministry of Education.

****

Thank you, ladies!  Your dedication over these many years is remarkable!  Thank you for guest posting here to share your insight and vision ahead for parent engagement.  I know I have benefitted from learning from each of you!  I hope others will share their visions ahead for parent engagement in education and we can continue to learn from our experiences that give us insight.  Feel free to leave questions for Birgit and Arlene, or connect with them on Twitter!

]]> http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/leadership-and-visions-for-parent-engagement-part-1/feed/ 8 sais44 http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/bringing-parents-into-the-conversations/ http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/bringing-parents-into-the-conversations/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:52:10 +0000 SStewart http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/?p=203 […]]]> I have been reading a few blog posts and tweets lately that have expressed some concern about where parents are at (or not at) regarding the understanding of current learning theories and education practices, and of the potential of technology to support learning.  There also seems to be some concern that parents, as a stakeholder group, often present barriers to progressive changes in education.  I can certainly understand the frustration that may occur at different levels in education (although it can go both ways too).

In any given school year, a classroom teacher will have a diversity of parents with a wide range of ages.  Parents, as with all people, will also come with differing values and personal viewpoints about education.  Parents will also have limited time to delve into what is new and current in education.  But before we make conclusions or dismiss them as key participants and drivers of change in education, I wonder if it would be helpful take a step back and consider the following:

How are opportunities created, supported and encouraged for parents to engage meaningfully and concretely in dialogue about learning, technology, etc. at the school level? The district or board level?  Are a few different ways offered?

Are there individuals sought out who can help with presenting concepts in a more parent-friendly way or format?  Are there opportunities provided for parents to dialogue with a mix of stakeholders, community members and staff to maximize the learning and sharing of perspectives?

Are parents encouraged and supported by staff to attend organized parent or focus groups and meetings to discuss education?  Who decides on the topics?

Do parents get to hear about what pre-service teachers are learning?  Do they hear about the focus and nature of professional development opportunities that teachers are participating in?  Are there ways to encourage more interest and awareness in these areas? (I wish more parents could see the sharing and learning of educators on Twitter!)

I hope others will share some examples of how conversations about “big picture” education topics are extended to parents, and what positive outcomes have occurred in support of students and in positive change for schools and education.  In what ways have parents been your best allies to help implement a change or reduce obstacles?

Just as I was writing these thoughts today, I saw a tweet from Darcy Mullin (@darcymullin) asking others for insight to help a discussion with the parent council at his school regarding the negative effects of letter grades.  It is great to hear about these more challenging discussions occuring with parents! (and yes, he got lots of responses!)  My thoughts for this post were also inspired by blog posts, tweets and comments by Tracy Bachellier (@bachtrac) and Chris Wejr (@MrWejr), who often share their thoughts about the importance of including parents in two-way dialogue.

I hope we can keep supporting these conversations and help others have them too!

As parents we may often worry about what kind of job our kids will eventually have, and how they will contribute to their community.  But how do we balance the messages we send to kids about the importance of learning to learn and exploring topics, and learning to have skills and knowledge for employment?  What age/grade is it appropriate to start having those conversations about “the future” without it affecting how students pursue learning, and develop their talents and passions?  Is it possible to plan too early, or too late?

The following post about parental roles in education is written with consideration of some of the history and context of Ontario’s framework of regulations and policies (hence lengthy!), but I think that other districts will still find something relevant to their own parent engagement planning.

Children go to schools.  Children have parents/guardians/family.  The connection is clear.  Or is it?

There seems to be so much debate about what the parent role in education should look like.  There are many organizations attempting to define it, analyze it, and/or provide resources to support it.  There is certainly no shortage of resources to implement programs and outreach.

I often hear and read a lot of referencing in regards to parents as “school council parents” and “parents” and “hard to engage” parents, etc.,  like they are very separate and distinct, or need to be considered differently.  And the discussions continue about the difference between parent involvement and engagement.

I often wonder if it would be clearer if we used the word advocacy more — without it being a negative term.  Sometimes parents advocate for their child; sometimes they advocate for their child’s peers; sometimes it will be for their school or their community or district.  Sometimes they will need someone else to advocate for their child or family.  Sometimes advocacy will bring about good broader outcomes in education because it started with one child/one parent.  Sometimes advocacy will involve a number of education partners working together on common goals.

There is also the concern that parents vary in their ability to advocate and access resources, information, and to have a voice in education.

In Ontario, school councils were not established to have only the voices of just the members/attendees at the meeting to be heard.  It was clearly structured and outlined in regulation that parent membership was to be elected by the parent community, and it was the intention that each parent, staff, and student member, as well as the council as a whole, would have and take the responsibility to communicate, consult and bring forward the “general” views of who they represented. Their role has always been advisory in nature to the administration or school board.

From the regulation 621/00 (23): “A school council shall consult with parents of pupils enrolled in the school about matters under consideration by the council.”  Here is an example of the objectives stated in board policy for school councils in my district:

• To focus on successful learning
• To plan for school growth
• To establish effective communication within the school community
• To establish effective approaches to consultative and
  collaborative strategies between home, school and community
• To increase participation of parents/guardians in the education of
  their children

Prior to 2006, some broader district or board level parent groups established independently and autonomously.  It was suggested in the Ministry school council guidebook that school councils could benefit in networking with other school councils in their district to increase their learning about local and provincial directions in education.  Other parent organizations also exist in Ontario so a lot of parent information and outreach has originated from such organized structures.

In 2006, the Ontario Ministry mandated school boards to establish board level Parent Involvement Committees (PICs), regardless of what was currently in place (or not) in terms of a broader, representative parent group.  In 2010, the Ministry released a policy document which outlined their vision of parent engagement.  This included that parents would “have opportunities to be involved, and also have a full range of choices about how to be involved, in the educational community to support student success.”  This document also outlined actions plans for school, board, and Ministry levels.  Further regulations regarding the PIC’s mandate and membership requirements were released in 2010.  Boards have gone through various processes, adjustments to meet requirements, and the process is expected to be done and in adherence with the Ministry regulations by Nov. 15 of 2011 – which is the date of this post.

Although the regulations are not completely specific in this area, policy documents suggest that PICs are to ensure outreach to the broader parent community, work with school councils, and represent the diversity of their district in its membership in order to help identify barriers to parental support of their children’s education.  By specific regulation, these committees require a parent majority, but also a senior administrator and trustee.  Additional staff and community members are optional.

Ontario also released a policy document, “Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy” in 2009 that had impact and implication for many aspects of education (classroom and school practices, curriculum, etc.).  It also reiterated the expectation that both school councils and PICs would ensure diverse representation in their membership and establish inclusive outreach to all parents and community voices.

But I think many questions remain.  Is this outreach happening in a consistent way across the province? Is this expectation reasonable on the structures set up?  Who is supporting the broader outreach and ensuring equitable access to education initiatives and information – at school and district levels?  Have all the policies and mandates made it happen?  Why has such extensive legislation and policy development been necessary in order to increase parent participation and bring voices “to the table”?  What are the barriers to do this effectively?  I spoke to some of this in a previous post, “Parent involvement takes time, do we have it?”

http://sheilaspeaking.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/parent-involvement-takes-time-do-we-have-it/

But are we missing some key elements in all this?  I often wonder if building trust and positive relationships are what can move mountains more than mandates and policies for parent participation?  How can we shift the focus to that? Can we in the current model of education? Who is responsible to create the space for positive parent participation – regardless of what we call it and where it happens, and where the “right” parents are needed?  Are we clear what parents want and do we help them become aware of opportunities?  Are the limitations to influence both ways understood?

While we need to very concerned about the voices that may be missed, can we work with “what we get” and value that?  Is there value in keeping the already engaged and/or informed parents engaged in order to outreach and connect to the perspectives of other less engaged parents?  Even if the engaged are few, can they be helpful to ensure the outreach happens and how can it be supported?  Are parents who care about the broader community context being empowered and entrusted with that leadership?

Can all parents be supported and be the “right” parents in the various roles they choose and manage to take on?  It is sad to me when I hear parents feeling bad that they aren’t doing ‘x’, or feeling bad or embarrassed that they are doing ‘y’ or doing too much of ‘x’, or reluctant to ask questions and convey their concerns.

And if it is determined or decided that working and connecting through organized parent structures is not effective enough, what other avenues for inclusive outreach and invitation can and will be taken that are considerate of all parents?  Can educators and administrators plan this effectively without an avenue to parent input and perspective?  How can we partner with all different parents to bring about positive and progressive changes in education?  We may have struggled with this for many years, but to what extent can technology offer some solutions in this area to help overcome some barriers to parent participation, as well as change in education to support students?

And yet, I feel I haven’t addressed all the questions and gray areas.  I hope others will share what is working and what is not.  Thank you for reading!

Parent Engagement:  A dinner invite or potluck?

By Mary-Lou VanBerkel, Chair, Parent Involvement Committee. LDCSB

The difference between involvement and engagement can be summed up as the difference between a community dinner and a potluck.

At the dinner you buy a ticket, you show up, and you eat a nice meal prepared by a committee based on a menu selected by a committee and that is the end – I am involved in the meal.

At the potluck, everyone is essential and everyone is needed. Each person brings the best they have to offer to share with the community and the result is usually an abundance of food and a very rich sampling of many cultures and many cuisines- I am engaged in the meal.

What is the difference to those participating? At the first one, if I do not show up no one really cares – I bought my ticket so they have the money and my commitment is less. I am not a part of the process of planning or preparing and I risk the chance that what they serve is nothing I can eat, or even want to.

At the second meal, I am a required person. If I do not show up with the roast beef everyone will be left with gravy and buns for supper. I am essential to the event and everyone is welcome to bring the best they have to offer. My commitment is much more significant, because without me it is not the same event. I feel I belong to the community and the community misses me if I do not show up. The potluck requires everyone to work and the result is richer, better, it feeds more people, satisfies every palette…etc.

So as leaders we should be looking for ways to facilitate engagement – like the potluck. When we make parents feel needed, like their offering has a place at the table and when we exclaim oh, my, what a delicious casserole, the chef feels proud and encouraged to make more next time. Their children feel the pride of their parent and feel a greater sense of belonging. We need to try to include many roles, many opportunities to participate in all events. Although the objective may appear to be the end result – the meal – in fact it is the process which is most important. It is the process that engages and creates the
sense of community and partnership that sees student achievement supported. It is the process that builds the relationship between parent and school, child and learning.

It is not a success just because lots of people showed up – it is a success if many people were involved in the planning and the presenting.

In receiving a recent new Parent Engagement guide developed by provincial principal groups, I feel like I got a church supper. It was prepared and planned by someone else, and even if I enjoyed the meal, my commitment to the concepts within, is lack luster. Had I been a partner I would share the responsibility, I would be engaged in the promotion and would be excited about the system.  I would have a sense that I belonged and that my contribution and I were valued – now I feel like I went to a decent lecture. A great opportunity to share some interesting cuisine and hear some interesting and diverse perspectives was missed. Too bad, because it could have been great instead of just pretty good.

Sometimes leadership looks more like facilitation – our leaders need to learn the difference.