Published: November 07, 2009 11:11 pm      

How you can be a part of school success

Part of my job as a Parent Coach for Parents for Public Schools is to send a clear message to the community that they are stakeholders in our public schools. Conversely, it’s also my job to convince the schools that the practice of partnering with the community builds higher levels of respect and trust in the community, as well as among school staff and families.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to the East Mississippi Human Resources Association regarding how businesses and industries can support our two local school districts. When most of us think about businesses partnering with schools we think of cutting a check to pay for classroom equipment, and that is still definitely one way that businesses can support our local schools. The following are other ways that businesses can partner with schools:

Ask our schools, district administrators, and board members how you can partner with them – it doesn’t always have to be in the form of money.

Allow your employees time off without penalty to attend their children’s Parent/Teacher conferences, or to volunteer at the school for tutoring and other projects.

Volunteer your employees to go to the schools and speak to classes in ways that can prepare students to enter the workforce – whether it’s part-time for the summer of after school or full-time upon graduation.

Attend your school board meetings to become informed and in touch, get to know your board members, superintendent, other administrators, principals, and teachers.

Send your children and/or grandchildren to our public schools.

Host or sponsor education forums in our community or hold brown bag lunch discussions of education issues at your work site.

Offer training to schools in areas such as financial management, budgeting, purchasing, team building, communication skills, data processing, and strategic planning. Provide "on loan" employees as resource help.

Support high quality, experience-based professional development for teachers and principals.

Develop and endorse policies and practices that encourage school involvement by all your employees.

Offer incentives to employees who are involved in education work.

Provide summer employment opportunities for teachers to learn about the "world of work."

Work with schools to produce units of study around business-related topics.

Share best business practices with school leaders.

Develop work site tours for students that require problem solving, homework assignments, and follow-up enrichment opportunities.

Get involved with Parents for Public Schools, PTA/PTO, and other school committees/organizations.

Financially support community resources that help families with children: Boys & Girls Club, Wesley House, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts, Community of Hope and other programs and agencies.

Find out what other businesses & industries are doing in this community and in other communities that has proven results and start a friendly competition.

Allow schools to use your facilities for workshops, forums, training, etc.

Attend a Parents for Public Schools Parent Leadership Training Institute or allow your employees to attend.

If you don’t like how decisions are being made – get on the committee or the school board!

You are a stakeholder in this ~ act like one: gather information and use it to ask informed, hard questions, get involved in the decision making process, hold school leaders accountable for their decisions, and hold yourself accountable for your part as a community entity and as a person who truly cares about where they live.

Public schools do more than educate children. They measure citizens’ pride. They reflect people’s sense of community. And they predict the social and economic well-being of the community’s future. Parents for Public Schools is working with the community of Meridian and Lauderdale County to make our public schools strong, empower parents as leaders for positive change, and engage the community in supporting our public schools. If you’re interested in working with other people on creative solutions to strengthen the Meridian and Lauderdale County school districts contact me, just keep in mind what Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”



Becky Glover

Parent Coach

Parents for Public Schools, National Office

Meridian