update+for+SRC+meetings

January was a busy month for SRC parent roundtable activity. There were three meetings on EMOs, School Climate, and Academic Reforms, respectively that were held over the month with non-district-staff attendance ranging from 15-25 people at each meeting. Here are some highlights from each meeting.

EMO Meeting (January 10th) Facilitated by Regional Superintendent Gregory Shannon, representatives from each of the Ed Management Organizations shared information about their organization with the parents. Each organization was asked to outline the following: the current situation at its schools (# of students, demographics, AYP status, etc.) a description of the partnership between District and provider (ie., what reports are generated for staff to share; how are best practices shared?) what approaches does your EMO use to get parents involved in schools (monthly parent meetings, advisory councils)? Many providers shared their desires to be "independent" entities with fuller accountability. Becoming charter-like was a common theme when asked by parents how EMOs could be structured to be more effective. Also, parents pushed providers to be more proactive in seeking input on school-related matters. Parent comments directed at the SRC centered on the need for clearer goals and milestones for each EMO (e.g., setting targets and matching resources to those targets), giving parents a clear set of criteria for how the SRC will review each provider, and publishing more frequent data by provider (don't wait until the contract is expiring). Finally, parents requested that a few of the providers return at a later date to finish their presentations as the meeting ended without Q&A for some providers.

Safety and School Climate Representatives from Jim Golden's team presented on School Lockdowns. This meeting was put together based on parent's concern over procedures and protocols during emergencies. Parents voiced displeasure over the inconsistent implementation of certain procedures at the school level (parent notification, for example), as well as the perceived lack of training of all school-based personnel on the topic. Other safety-related issues have emerged from conversations with parents and will likely be addressed at other meetings. These items include: CBOs, equitable distribution of resources, and zero tolerance policies.

CAO Office Presentation (Jan 28th) Led by Dr. Jones (Chief Academic Office), the Academic leadership team presented to a group of approximately 20 parents on the different offices within Academics, the linkages between offices, and the roles that parents can play in helping drive initiatives forward. Represented offices include, but are not limited to, Early Childhood, Specialized Services, OLCA (Language, Culture, and the Arts), Accelerated Learning (Magnets, Dual enrollment, IB, etc.), and School Support Services.

Early Childhood - questions about the distribution of early childhood services came up; 1 parent opined that having available seats in ALL geographic areas can assist in promoting the District's K-8's and will reduce the tendency for new, middle class parents to ignore the District as a potential place for their kids. Donna Piekarski then shared with the parents several ways for them to be involved including a Parent Advisory Council.

Specialized Services - implementation and the effectiveness of school-level personnel were the big discussion topics among parents. Does every person in the school building commit to the CSAP process, understand it, and use it? Professional Development and equitable distribution of counselors were cited as the biggest issue for parents in this area. "Does the District and the SRC prioritize the needs of these children and provide enough school-level supports to prevent further behavior issues, drop outs, etc? "Should there be specific goals for special needs children in the Declaration of Education goals? "Is th