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What if you could help your child enjoy school more, get better grades, and reduce behavior problems at the same time? Reams of research has shown that regardless of parents’ income and educational background, their involvement in education helps their kids do better in and out of school. Parent involvement can be as simple as helping with math homework or reading a book together at bedtime. Going to parent-teacher conferences is important, but taking the family to the school spaghetti supper makes a difference, too. More involvement is better, but you don’t have to be president of the PTO or run the school carnival. As long as your actions show that you value education, your child is likely to respond. Here are just a few of the reasons you should get involved in your child’s education: Higher grades. Kids whose parents are involved in their education get better grades and have higher test scores. And the more parents are involved, the more their children seem to benefit. A study of parents highly involved in the educational process showed that their children were more likely to improve in reading and math. Better behavior. Kids develop better social skills and show improved behavior when their parents are involved at school. Studies have also shown that kids are less likely to skip school, less disruptive in class, and more likely to do their homework when their parents are involved. One study showed that when dads are highly involved in schools, their children enjoy school more and are less likely to be suspended, expelled, or required to repeat a grade. Improved education. Research shows that parent involvement can help improve the quality of schools, raise teacher morale, and improve a school’s reputation in the community. Involved parents gain the respect of teachers; as a result, teachers have higher expectations of their children. Involvement pays off in the long term, too: Children stay in school longer and are more likely to continue their education after high school. Increased confidence. When students feel supported at home and school, they develop more positive attitudes about school, have more self-confidence, and place a higher priority on academic achievement. Children of involved parents are more likely to feel that they’re accepted, included, and respected and at school. Parents benefit, too. When parents become involved in their children’s education, they become more comfortable in the school building, gain confidence in their parenting skills, and feel more capable of helping their children learn. They’re also more likely to continue their own education. Involvement is easy. You don’t have to log hundreds of volunteer hours for your child to benefit. Even if you can only volunteer a few hours a year, every little bit counts. If you’re ready to do more, your school’s parent-teacher group can help you find ways to get involved that fit both your schedule and your interests.
Article by by Emily Graham , www.schoolfamily.com |
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Why Parent Involvement? |
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Top Ten Reasons to Get Out and VOTE |
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1. To speak your mind: Your vote is your voice. It tells elected officials how you feel about education, healthcare, social security and other important issues. 2. To make them listen: Your vote is your loudspeaker. When we turn out to vote, you can bet that the politicians know it – and you can be sure, when we all crank up that loudspeaker, they’ll pay attention to what we have to say. 3. For our children: Our children can’t vote – so we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our views known about schools, safety, the environment and other issues that will affect our children’s future. 4. For our community: Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for the things it needs while other neighborhoods seem to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we get results we can see right where we live. 5. For yourself: Let’s face it – it’s no fun to sit on the sidelines and complain. To win the game, you have to be in it. Voting puts you in the game that counts most of all – democracy. 6. To honor our history: As long as this country has existed, there have been people who didn’t want us to vote. Well, guess what? Today, there are still people who don’t want you to vote. And it’s your turn to stand up and vote to preserve and honor those who went before us. 7. To control our future: Elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives. From homeland security to social security, the individuals we vote for will make decisions about our quality of life. 8. To stop something: Voting lets you stop complaining about things in your community. It puts you in the driver’s seat instead of the back of the bus. 9. To start something: Voting gets to be habit-forming, and it’s contagious, too. Once you get out and vote, it’ll feel so good that you’ll want to do it again and again. Pretty soon your kids and neighbors will want some of what you’ve got, and from there on, the rest will be history. 10. To win: In every election year, some races are decided by just a handful of votes. Those who vote demand respect. When we vote, we win.
VOTING Your RIGHT - Your RESPONSIBILITY Tuesday, November 4th |
