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Parent leave act will bolster student achievement
Posted: 1/27/2010 5:45:00 PM
Update: Assembly Bill 116 died as the clock on the 2009-10 legislative session ran out before the Senate could act on the bill. Legislators will have another opportunity to introduce and consider such a proposal when the next legislative session convenes in January of 2011.
The Wisconsin Assembly voted 52-44 Tuesday (February 23) to approve a bill allowing parents to take unpaid leave time from work to participate in their children’s school activities or conferences that can’t be scheduled during nonworking hours. Wisconsin’s largest union of educators supports the legislation because members know student success depends on parental involvement in school. Assembly Bill 116 is authored by Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison) and Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee).
Parents have the greatest impact on a child’s success in school. That’s a fact. So, it stands to reason that educators need parents as partners in education. When family and school work together, everyone benefits.
The legislation, which allows parents to take up to 16 hours of leave time from work, puts into practice what research has proven time and time again. When parents are involved, their children achieve higher grades and test scores, develop better attitudes and behavior, attend school more regularly, complete more homework, graduate from high school and enroll in postsecondary education.
For teacher Jolene Knox of Rhinelander, the need for parents to be allowed time off (omit of) work to meet with the school is common sense.
“(This is about) giving parents time to be able to come in and communicate with us, and not have to worry about their job and what might happen if they leave their job to come in and follow up on their child’s schooling and education,” said Knox. “I just think that would benefit the child, school and community at the same time.”
Video: Click to hear more from Jolene
WEAC President Mary Bell agreed. “Traveling across Wisconsin, I hear time and time again about parents who really want to be part of their children’s education but are unable to make that happen,” she said. “Oftentimes, it’s because of work constraints that they aren’t allowed the time off they need to attend a parent-teacher conference at night, or a daytime meeting with the school about their child’s needs. As a state, we need to stand up and say, ‘This is important to the child, to the family and to the community.’”
Family and community involvement in schools is garnering some national attention in Wisconsin, as our state was selected as one of six in the nation to receive a grant from the National Education Association for a Family/School/Community Engagement Summit this spring. WEAC will host the summit, with the goal of bringing together nearly 300 representatives of faith-based organizations, educators, business and community leaders to develop policy recommendations to increase the engagement of families and communities in public education.
The Summit participants will be asked to come up with policy ideas that will best support families and communities in truly becoming partners in their children’s education. Representatives of Wisconsin’s Summit will attend a National Summit this fall, where input from all six states will be used to create national policy recommendations that focus on increasing family and community involvement with schools to boost student achievement.
