Parent Leadership Summit

 

June 2018 

 

By Madelynn Coldiron
Staff writer

 

The lines of responsibility between school councils and school boards are sometimes hazy or misunderstood, but school council and school board members from different districts were on the same page as they participated in a panel at the inaugural Parent Leadership Summit April 28, sponsored by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.

 

Both elected bodies have a role, said panel facilitator Kerri Schelling, KSBA’s executive director. School boards set policy at the district level, but are not routinely in the schools. School council members are “the next level closer to the students,” she said, noting that Kentucky is one of the few states with this kind of shared decision making.

Negotiating those roles can be “a tightrope,” said panelist and 30-year Shelby County school board member Brenda Jackson. “I think with the board and council, we don’t always have that relationship that I would like to have, because you’re afraid if you step over the line that you can be removed,” she said. “I don’t want to step over the line. But we’ve got one set of children and we have to work together for those children.”

 

Parents and others gathered for the summit spent time on a “data walk,” showing the performance of Kentucky students using a variety of yardsticks. During the panel discussion, Jackson noted that in responding to data, school board members first “should not be afraid” of diving in and both asking and answering questions about it.

“As board members, are we asking the questions, are we talking to the parents? Are we finding, even with the students, what they need? And when you get an answer that you’re not happy with or you’re not clear on, don’t just pass over it,” she said.

When the Fayette County school board asked questions, it resulted in a move to redirect more resources and create smaller class sizes in those high-poverty schools that needed help, board member Melissa Bacon told the summit crowd. The board also noted that English language learner staffing levels did not match the needs at some schools, and took steps to increase those positions, she said.

Fayette County board member Daryl Love, another panelist, added that in responding to data, boards also need to consider what happens beyond the immediate outcome. “When we think about data and strategies, we need to think about the long-term impact,” he said.

It’s also important to be flexible when those strategies don’t work, agreed Lauren Mitchell, school council parent member at Northside Elementary in Woodford County.

In looking for resources to address the problems that are identified, Michelle Burke, parent school council member at Madison County Middle School, had a tip for budget-strained school districts: Draw on the no-cost professionals in the community, as she did when she connected Eastern Kentucky University professors with students interested in their area of expertise. “It’s free,” she said. “I wish more people would call – just ask.”

Mitchell pointed to the improvement in the performance of English language learners in the Woodford County district after community partners volunteered for a mentoring program. Jackson said her district is creating partnerships with groups like churches for summer feeding programs and with the YMCA in a Black Achievers program. 

Bacon said career academies in Fayette County’s high schools “are an incredible way” to get the business community involved in schools while preparing students for careers. Love said those efforts also should start early as children develop interests. “That career piece does not start at high school. It does not start at the middle school,” he said.

Extracurricular activities also have a role, Bacon said. Teachers can help with these efforts by identifying students who don’t have natural opportunities in extracurricular activities, Love said, and, especially for minority students, connect them with mentors they can identify with to get “messages of success.”

Involving parents
“Parents have a bit of fear of going into schools – they’re a bit intimidated,” Burke said. It’s important that schools are welcoming to parents because “it sets the tone for the visit,” Love agreed.

That same principle holds for school board meetings, Jackson said. “You have to have your board meetings open to people,” so they can ask questions and “find out what we’re doing.” The Shelby County board, she noted, has two student representatives, which has helped the board understand that point of view.

Bacon said the Fayette County board makes sure meetings start off with recognizing student successes while parents are still in the audience. This also keeps the focus on ensuring that student achievement is “front and center,” she said.

Parents don’t really understand that they need to advocate at the school level, Love said. He views his role as listening and directing them to the appropriate source, which often is the school council, especially in issues dealing with school culture, he said. “That’s where a lot more power really resides,” he explained.

 

 

Summit, sponsored by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.