Appleton Teacher Urges Senate Panel to Encourage Family Involvement in Schools
A proposal to encourage family involvement in schools would "nurture
student achievement," according to a WEAC member who testified before
a state Senate committee March 12.
WEAC Legislative Committee member Marcia Engen told the Senate Education
Committee that Senate Bill 89 incorporates one of the cornerstones of
WEAC's Legislative Agenda:
family involvement
in public schools.
The bill provides state funding to encourage school districts to involve
families in their children's education through grants and various programs.
"Public schools are best when there is a partnership with parents
or guardians and the community," said Engen, who is president of
the Appleton Education Association. Her experience as a teacher and hundreds
of studies show parental involvement improves student achievement.
She said the bill, authored by Sen. Richard Grobschmidt (D-South Milwaukee),
could be enhanced by:
- Giving DPI more involvement in the program.
- Creating a nine-member state council on family involvement to help
direct resource allocation, as recommended in WEAC's Legislative Agenda.
- Encouraging more local involvement in the programs.
- Developing an evaluation instrument.
Engen also recommended the program focus solely on public schools; and
keep local funding of the program outside revenue controls.
"There is only an upside to parental involvement," Engen said.
"We can nurture student achievement if everyone works together."
Posted March 13, 1997