Advocacy: What's important to us and what's important to everyone else? by Morris, Kathleen - PMS https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy en-us 2022-01-23 20:53:04 UTC 2022-02-22 01:28:29 UTC hello@padlet.com kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007563101 With more and more school shootings occurring throughout the U.S. I feel as though this is an issue that needs more attention and needs to be advocated for, not only for our students and teachers but our communities. Schools can specifically focus on teaching personal vigilance when it comes to this matter as well as putting safety measures into place. We can't wait until a tragedy takes place to make changes, because then it is too late. We have be proactive and get ahead of this issue. ]]> 2022-01-23 21:14:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007563101 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007566215 Our classrooms are completely overcrowded to the point of teachers not being able to be effective and students not being to able learn. If we want to see our students achieve and our teachers to feel and be effective, we need to reduce the class size. When our class sizes are smaller students can really been seen and heard and isn't that what we want? Don't we want our students to be heard? Once students are being seen and heard they will be more invested in their classes and their success will improve. ]]> 2022-01-23 21:19:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007566215 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007571369 The student achievement gap will more than likely always exist, but  what are we doing to decrease this gap? There needs to be actionable programs implemented in order to combat this gap. Also, every parent and educator needs to recognize that this problem is real and does exist so we can begin to take steps to decrease the achievement gap. ]]> 2022-01-23 21:26:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2007571369 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2009896857 We need more parental involvement. How do we get more parents involved? Is there a way to hold parents accountable for their child's education? If we can get parents involved we can make students more successful, but we have to figure out how to get these parents involved. Once students see their parents involved and interested in what they are doing at school, the students will follow suit. We need parents advocating to their children how important their education is, not only with what they are saying to their children, but also with their actions. Parents and schools need to form partnerships to help improve students success in and out of the classroom. ]]> 2022-01-24 22:09:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2009896857 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2009903466 Research has shown there are disparities in school discipline. Schools need student discipline that is effective and consistent for all students. Are schools utilizing positive interventions we needed? Are students learning from their behaviors and given a chance to change those behaviors? Are students being held accountable for their actions? I think it is important that we hold students accountable for their actions and issue consequences. When these students become adults there will always be consequences for their actions and that is a life skill we need to be teaching them. ]]> 2022-01-24 22:16:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2009903466 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2017888647 Parents:
"Mental/emotional health of children. If children believed in themselves, in their ability, and potential they could be empowered to be responsible for their own education. They could be motivated and taught that educating themselves is the key to all good things in life. Give them power."

"More parental involvement at home and in the schools. It definitely motivates kids when the parents get involved. Learning for all parties involved and emotional and physical  health and wellness."

"Smaller classes would benefit students and teachers alike. Smaller classes would allow teachers to hone in and identify problems that need to be addressed and give them the time to do so."

"Parents being more involved in students education, making sure assignments are getting done, noticing if their child is struggling and helping the child, more parent involvement between parents and teachers. Make sure parents and teachers are on the same page. Parents communicate with the teacher and not just the teacher always reaching out to the parent. Students have to have guidance from parents no matter how old they are."

"Teachers need to be flexible and able to teach a subject in different ways. One kid might learn one way, but another kid may need a different route to learn a subject. So, being a well rounded teacher for different learning situations. Not all kids learn the same and not all material works best for all kids."

Teachers:
"I personally think we need more support from the student homes. If teachers know they are supported from home, it allows for a much better environment in the classroom. However, when there is no support, the teacher can feel powerless to correct behavior in students. Students learn better when they know a parent/guardian is noticing their progress and taking an active role in that progress." 7th Grade Science

"Pay. I know this is common, but it’s true. We are the ones who help mold and shape the people who become doctors, lawyer, bankers, etc. but yet aren’t compensated for what we do." 6th Grade ELA

"I don’t really know how to say this but we are just passing students to the next grade and it is not for their benefit. I know there is data that shows it not really beneficial to hold student back but it has to help some of them. When I look at some of my students and see how far behind some of them are, it breaks my heart. How can we fix this?" 8th Grade Math

"For student learning, equity. Even though we say that each student has the same opportunities as the one sitting beside them it isn’t true. Each and every student should have access to the same course, materials, rigor and expectations of their classes." Technology teacher

"The biggest issue I see in our schools is how we use the same standards to measure students all over the country. American students should be held to a standard, but the way we measure the student’s understanding needs to change. In this country we believe standardized testing is the best way to objectively measure all students to ensure they are proficient in course material. However, rampant standardized testing is one of the biggest problems in public education. Standardized testing rarely produces clear results of overall student learning and students are put under immense pressure by teachers and parents to produce high scores. These score driven systems often push teachers to teach students to the test ensuring their own job security rather than ensuring the students understand the concepts they are being taught." 8th Grade Social Studies

Administrators:
"My answer would be better parent buy in for academic matters, particularly for families that live in poverty." Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

"Student learning should be relevant and engaging, moving our young people towards a career or skills which focus on problem solving, technology, and cooperative learning. The educational profession should require rigorous training for educators, have high standards at work, and then pay them as if they as a vital part of our society.  If we truly value our children, our future, we need to invest in it as if our lives depend on it and make educational achievements the goal nations wide." Instructional Coach 

"Every school system has there on challenges but overall  the pandemic has effected the loss of learning for most students.  The biggest issue that needs to be addressed is class size. The number of students in each class needs to be reduced significantly. This would require more certified staff to be hired to accomplish that.  To differentiate instruction for so many students is next to impossible and the lower student numbers would allow more individualized instruction for each student." Assistant Principal/Dean of Students

"Parent involvement. If, like at RCA, parents had to show interest and be required to invest in the education process in some way their children would most likely value it more." College and Career Ready/ Distinguished Educator 

"I think the biggest issue in regards to student learning is how do we get the ones who aren’t current grade level up to grade level.  I feel like we are starting to get a good hold of that now that we have an RTI classroom in place, but we need to continue until levels are where they need to be.  It is difficult to get the ones who need to move on if the teacher is either having to repeat info some students know or having to go a slower pace.  That is where these interventions have to play a vital role in those students education." Guidance Counselor

]]> 2022-01-28 13:40:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2017888647 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2044999468 Step 1: Know the Issue: Advocating for increased parental involvement. 

Step 2: Know your district: Our district is always looking for ways to increase parental involvement and continually staying in touch with families as well as encouraging them to be apart of their child’s schooling. Each of our schools have their own social media page and our district even has a social media page. We also utilize KINVO district wide for communication purposes. We have three elementary schools and they each have family skate nights, family reading nights, Christmas/Thanksgiving programs, and parent/teacher conferences. Our middle school sends out weekly newsletters for each team and this informs the families of upcoming assignments as well as activities for the week. The middle school also hosts band and choir concerts and asks for parent volunteers in classrooms throughout the year for specific activities. The middle school also participates in numerous activities and fundraisers throughout the year in which families are asked to become involved with their student. Our high school hosts band/choir concerts, dances, senior night, college signing ceremonies, plays, speech tournaments, homecoming, and various other activities to draw families into the school community. The high school also does a phenomenal job of highlighting their students and their accomplishments via social media. I believe social media is a great tool for schools to use because it allows families in the community to see what students are accomplishing and the fun they are having, and hopefully it will prompt some of the parents to want to get involved. I honestly feel like my district from elementary level to central office are all trying to get parents involved, but we aren’t seeing the results of increased parental involvement. 

Step 3: Know where you stand: I believe parents should be involved in their child’s education. Schools across America are giving parents multiple opportunities to be involved and parents are not taking advantage of those opportunities. With that being said, my school is implementing a program called, “Dads on Duty,” this is where fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father figures who volunteer for at least one day a week or more. During the day, Dads on Duty may eat lunch with their child, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow, mentor students, and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their child, but other students as well. Their mere presence offers additional security at school as well as allows them to be a positive and active role model for children at our school. Now, I’m wanting to implement this program district wide and use this as a jumping off point to get more and more parents involved. Once I get program implemented in all of my district schools my plan is to take it to KDE and try to get all Kentucky schools to begin implementing Dads on Duty.

Step 4 and Step 5: Know decision makers and know how to contact decision makers: My school is implementing this, but the other schools in my district aren’t, so I have listed the people of contact. At the district level, Dr. Donald Shively is the person of contact for decisions. He can be reached via telephone, 270-444-5600 or via email, Donald.shively@paducah.kyschools.us. At the state level to get this program implemented statewide, the first person of contact would be, Natasha Stein, Office of Continuous Improvement and Support, she can be reached at (502) 564-3791 or natasha.stein@education.ky.gov. 

Step 6: Know the calendar: Board meetings occur on the third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm and Site Base meetings occur on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 pm. I just have to get my information approved in advance so I can get my information put on the agenda. I will present first at the site base meeting on May 3, 2022 to get the program approved for the 2022-2023 school year. Next, I will present at the board meeting May 16, 2022 to get Dad’s on Duty approved and implemented district wide. 

Step 7: Know how to state your case: I have hung posters around our school building, had discussions with teachers, posted on social media, shown up to site base and board meetings, and reached out to community members and parents to get them involved and spread the word of Dads on Duty.

Step 8: Know how to reach the public: I'm reaching the public by getting my topic placed on the site base and board meeting agenda, organizing an advocacy group, and using social media outlets. 

Step 9: Know your role in the electoral process: Become extremely informed on the candidate’s position and volunteer your time and/or money to help promote the candidate that you support. Promote voter registration and encourage stakeholders to become involved in supporting candidates in public education. 

]]> 2022-02-13 21:58:32 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2044999468 kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2045025256 Peer Reviewed Article #1: Parental Involvement as a Important Factor for Successful Education
Link: http://waterfield.murraystate.edu.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1156936&site=ehost-live&scope=site

"Research shows that parental involvement is more important to children's academic success than their family's socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background." (Amatea & West 2007; Henderson & Berla, 1994) This just proves that educators have to partner with parents and get them involved in their child's education. No matter the students background at home, if educators can get the partner involved with their child's school there will be success.

"Furthermore, research shows that the level of parental involvement is associated with academic success. Children whose parents are passively involved. Specifically, if parents attend teacher conferences, accept phone calls from the school, and read and sign messages from the school, their children will benefit academically more than children whose parents do none of the above." (Suizzo, 2007; Weisz, 1990) My question is, are we giving parents multiple opportunities to engage with the teacher and school? These are simple and quick ways educators can get involvement from parents to increase academic success.

There are barriers limiting parental involvement, but those barriers can be broken. " To overcome barriers preventing parental involvement, schools need to provide a welcoming climate where the school staff is respectful and responsive to parents (Wherry, 2009). It is critical that administrators and teachers encourage two-way communication between the school and home." (Wherry, 2009) Educators need to identify the barriers and break the barriers, so parental involvement can begin to increase. It is important to remember that parents are teachers partners in their child's educational success.

"Research has indicated that great schools have effective partnerships with parents (Davies, 1996); therefore, school, family, and community partnerships are critical component in educating students."

References:
Ðurišic, M., & Bunijevac, M. (2017). Parental Involvement as a Important Factor for Successful Education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 137–153.

Peer Reviewed Article #2: Practicing Parental Involvement: Heterogeneity in Parent Involvement Structures in Charter and Traditional Public Schools

Link: http://waterfield.murraystate.edu.ezproxy.waterfield.murraystate.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1312323&site=ehost-live&scope=site 

"Similarly, charters are more likely than traditional public schools to eschew unions, collective bargaining, and tenure-based- pay-scales, in favor of alternative staffing structures that seek to promote efficiency and to improve educational outcomes by reducing bureaucracy. For instance, charters are more likely to tie teacher evaluation and compensation to student performance (Oberfield, 2016). Teachers with greater self-efficacy engage in more strategies to increase parental involvement (Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2002), and parental involvement is higher when administrators have more autonomy and are able to cultivate parents' trust and respond to parent demands with flexibility (Adams et al, 2009; Marschall & Shah, 2016). Public education ties educators hands in so many ways that it limits the opportunities for parental involvement, which is so obvious when comparing public schools to charter schools. This has to be changed!

"While charters report higher levels of public- and private-good involvement than traditional public schools, charters likely have this association because involved parents select these types of schools and because these parents see themselves as partners in the educational enterprise in ways that cannot simply translated in traditional public schools." (Boylan, R. L., Petts, A., Renzulli, L., Domina, T., & Murray, B. 2021).My question is why don't parents treat the public school that they are sending their child to as a choice and it's a choice they made for their child to have the best education instead of treating it like a babysitting service? How do public schools at least mimic on a smaller scale charter school parental involvement? What public schools are doing now is not working and the education system needs some reform to benefit students and teachers. 

References
Boylan, R. L., Petts, A., Renzulli, L., Domina, T., & Murray, B. (2021). Practicing Parental Involvement: Heterogeneity in Parent Involvement Structures in Charter and Traditional Public Schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 57(4), 570–606.








]]> 2022-02-13 22:41:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2045025256 Advocacy Project kathleenmorris https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2048638094 2022-02-15 14:11:11 UTC https://padlet.com/kathleenmorris/3x6fhb16l6ymduy/wish/2048638094