Parent+Groups

=Index of Parent Groups in the School District of Philadelphia= Welcome to [|www.phsc.wikispaces.com], where parents can provide information to other parents. If you have questions or comments about this page, please email Jay Cohen at jcohen@delawarevalley.org. This is the list of groups. If you would like to see the meetings then click on Parent Meetings. If adding to, or editing, this page, please use posting formats.. The discussion tab of this page is not generally used or checked. If you have an issue for discussion, please see the links under "Discussion" to the left of this page.

=Parenting & Child Health=
 * **How do I find, select and pay for child care? T**he CCIS Parent Resource and Referral (R&R) Department maintains information on local child care facilities and community resources to help parents search for an appropriate arrangement for their child. [|http://www.philadelphiachildcare.org]
 * **A free web site for Philadelphia moms, MomsLikeMe.com.** We are just launching in Philadelphia. We're the fastest growing destination for local moms who want to share what's going on in their busy lives. Over 1.5 million unique visitors last month. Jen Bolger, Philadelphia Site Manager. MomsLikeMe.com
 * **Parent and Child Newsletter** We invite any and all to subscribe to our FREE Parent and Child Newsletter that provides awesome tips to raise a SMART child. PLEASE Subscribe or Pass on the Link ESPECIALLY to parents of children 0-6 years old! []. Joan E. Gosier, www.WeALLstartsmall.com
 * **The Children Advocacy Project (CAP)**Get involved with this program that will support you with any questions about your child from mental health to childcare to immigration rights [] Also CAP helps with violence prevention Click this link to view. (tjones 4/29)
 * **National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center**Oral Health for Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women. [] (mnguyen 4/21)

=Educational & Community=
 * **Autism Website** We are pleased to announce the launch of our autism website, The University of Pennsylvania Autism Resource Guide, at [|http://www.paautism.org]. The site is intended for primarily for people with autism in Pennsylvania, family members and other interested individuals to learn about autism spectrum disorders. Contact David S. Mandell. phone: 215.573.7494. More Info
 * **Notebook NEWSFLASH** The Notebook is an independent, nonprofit newspaper providing information and commentary about Philadelphia schools. Our print edition is distributed through schools, libraries, and community organizations four times a year (Sept., Dec., March, and May). The NEWSFLASH provides timely stories and updates in between issues of the paper. Latest article: **Charter executive pay: How much is too much?** Click [|here] for more information. //Submitted by the Notebook newsletter (4/2 lvargas)// A resource for high school students it's a blog site that continues to keep students connected and focused on their education. Click this Link for more valuable information. (tjones 4/30)
 * **PHENND (Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development) has just updated their website**. Although PHENND's primary audience is teachers and staff in colleges and universities, there is still a lot of good information for parents especially in the area of grants and opportunities for college age youth. Click here for more information. (posted during September)
 * **Philly Parent Partners is a yahoo group** that contains lots of very good information. If you sign up, you will receive an email every day containing messages from other parents and community leaders with the latest information for parents. Also, you will be able to send messages to this email list that will automatically go everyone on this list. Thank you Bob Shipman for putting this yahoo group together. Click here for more information[].
 * **Latest information on what's happening in Center City Schools.** 2008 Center City School Open Houses available to be viewed at following website, [] Information provided by Center City District-Central Phila Devolpment Corp <schools@ntarget.com


 * Home and School Web Sites.** If your Home and School Association has a web site, please feel free to add a link to it here. Also, if you would like help in creating your own Home and School Web site for your school, you can do it yourself through wikispaces.com, google.com or email Jay Cohen at jcohen@delawarevalley.org. By the way, this wiki thing is completely free for schools. Also, Jay Cohen does not have any financial relationship with wikispaces.
 * **Cook-Wissahickon -** http://cook-wiss.wikispaces.com
 * Fitzsimons - http://fitzsimons.wikispaces.com
 * Forrest Elementary - [|www.forresthsa.org]
 * Meredith Elementary HSA - [|http://meredithmatters.googlepages.com]
 * Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary HSA - http://cassidyhsa.wikispaces.com
 * Sheppard Elementary School -[]
 * Levering Elementary School - http://leveringhomeandschool.webs.com

=Parent Groups in the School District of Philadelphia= **Philadelphia Home and School Council (PHSC) -** Independent parent organization representing parents from over 200 School District Schools with Home and School Associations.
 * Contact - Delores E. Solomon, President (215-400-4080) [|http://www.phillyhsc.wikispaces.com] Through Title I receives office space from the School District of Philadelphia.

**SRC Community Group -** Regular meetings started in response to parent requests to have more access to the School Reform Commission and high level District Officials. Typically about 10 parents attend these small, but very informative monthly meetings. The Idea is to have parents go to the meeting, and bring back information to their various groups. Subcommittees include The Charter Schools Committee and the EMO Committee.
 * Contact - Arenda Bethel (215-549-9356 ), adbethel@earthlink.net Joe Ferguson( 215-400-5639 ) from the District
 * Sources of Funding - No Funding

**Parents United for Public Education -** Independant parent group started in response to District budget issues. Started with a few active parents, but now has hundreds of parents, connections with the media and a blog (web discussion forum) where parents can voice their concerns and issues.
 * Contact - Helen Gym and Aissia Richardson,( 215-236-2100 ), parentsunitedphila@gmail.com, [|http://parentsunitedphila.googlepages.cm.]
 * Sources of funding - No Funding

**Title I Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meetings -** Regular monthly meetings held to keep parents and parent organizations informed about Title I and the the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
 * Contact - Quibila Divine ( 215-400-6443 )
 * Sources of Funding - School District of Philadelphia Title I Funding

**Right to Education Task Force -** This is a federally mandated organization initially created to advocate for the rights of students in special education. Because issues relating to special education many times effect all students, this group also sees its mission as advocating for all students.
 * Contact - Cathy Roccia-Meier, (215-400-5151), [|www.philadelphialtf.org]
 * Sources of Funding -

**Public Citizens for** **Children and Youth** - Online Discussion about Philly Schools. Go to [|www.phillyschoolstories.blogspot.com]
 * Contact - Sheila Simmons, Education Director,( 215-563-5848, ext.12), sheilas@pccy.org
 * Sources of Funding- Grants

**Philadelphia Student Union** - Organization representing students.
 * Contact - 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. 215-471-5970. [|http://www.phillystudentunion.org]
 * Sources of Funding - Currently unknown