I will never forget the note that one of my third-grade teachers from Bond Hill Elementary wrote on her personal stationery to my Mom boasting about my abilities. That one gesture really made a marked difference in raising my self-confidence. It helped spur me on to academic success at Walnut Hills High School, then the University of Cincinnati, and, most recently, at Xavier University where I earned my MBA.

Now that I have five children in three different Cincinnati Public Schools, I have become even more keenly aware of the impact that teachers have when they show students that they are cared about. By developing positive, supportive relationships with their students, teachers create an environment where learning can flourish.

My older son has benefited from such support more than my other children.  On a recent Sunday, I received a call from a teacher who has taken initiative on my son's behalf. The teacher wanted to make sure that my husband and I would be keeping the appointment that we had scheduled.  The meeting was to discuss my son's academic standing and class-time escapades. I showed up the next day expecting a negative conversation.

It turns out that the teacher was equally concerned with knowing about issues that might have been affecting my son's behavior and academic performance. He wanted to know how he could help beyond the classroom. Before we had left our meeting, I told my son that he owed a world of thanks to this teacher.  
Most teachers care about imparting knowledge to students. But the best teachers also care about the relational aspect of teaching. They take time to establish a trusting and caring connection with their students, who in turn become more receptive to what is being taught. They get to know their students' interests and talents as well as their needs, which helps them prepare lessons and helps students feel invested in the learning experience.  They work with parents to show interest and concern for their children, which in turn motivates parents.

Fortunately, my son's teacher is not an exception in our local schools. There are dozens of teachers in the Cincinnati Public Schools and other local districts who take their jobs just as seriously. But such professionalism is not exactly the norm either. We need more teachers like my son's – and fewer who are not willing to go the extra mile.

More is at stake than just the welfare of a few struggling students. The quality of life of the entire region requires that we have great schools to educate our young people and serve as hubs of community activity. A strong student-teacher-parent triad, when supported by community stakeholders, makes that possible. I trust that one day, when my son is accomplishing great things in the world, he will recall our meeting with his teacher and its importance to his success.

Back when my children were younger, my neighbor stopped me one day to ask what I thought about a particular school issue. Since she was retired and had no children of her own at home, I was a bit taken aback by her interest in the Cincinnati Public Schools. She explained that she watched my five children come and go on a daily basis and that she felt a sense responsibility for them. She also recalled that when she had school-aged children at home, there were others in the community who took some level of responsibility for them.

Members of our communities who are not necessarily parents of school children have a critical contribution to make to in the effort to improve our schools, both through their voices and their time. As a long-time school volunteer who has led a local school parent association and Cincinnati Parents for Public Schools, I have witnessed and encouraged their input. Teachers and school administrators who understand the importance of these community advocates actively create opportunities for their involvement. 

Schools can partner with neighborhood businesses to expand the curriculum. They can enlist older residents, like my neighbor, to serve as greeters for children and visitors. They can recruit volunteers from the nearby church choir to fill the role of crossing guards. Leaders of the community council can lend their talents to the Local School Decision Making Council.

Fortunately, many of our Cincinnati Public Schools are blessed with an outpouring of community support from residents who believe that we all have a responsibility to educate students, not just the teachers and staff in schools and not just parents. We also are fortunate to have a core group of businesses, non-profit agencies, faith-based organizations and universities that all play a vital role in this important work. The support of the whole community helps our schools succeed.

Corporate investment of volunteers and resources – such as Cincinnati Bell's support of Taft High School and GE's partnership with Aiken High School – help students develop academically, socially and physically. Innovative community-sponsored programs like Partners in Education, Adopt-a-Class, and Crayons to Computers are invaluable to the quality of schools. Uptown Arts Center's free dance lessons and Crossroads Community Church's Whiz Kids mentoring program are just a couple examples of dozens of after-school programs that continue to work with thousands of students long after classes have ended.

Meanwhile, regional organizations such as Strive, which focuses on aligning resources to develop children from birth to career, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, which focuses on workforce development, help assure that students are prepared.

We are blessed to have such energy and commitment from our community – much of which goes unnoticed and even unappreciated. They are essential complements to the fundamental efforts of parents and teachers in the ongoing crusade to improve our local schools.

Vanessa White
SoapBlog 1 - Parent Involvement in Local Schools

I received an email the other day from a friend I've known for a long time. The words in the subject box read: POWERFUL AND POIGNANT. There was no other greeting. No "how ya doing" or chit-chat. Just the subject line followed by these words in the body of the email:

"In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child.  I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that the responsibility for our children's education must begin at home!"
 
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Address to Joint Session of Congress
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

After I read the email and reflected on it, I thought to myself that if my friend and I had been in the same room while these words were being spoken, our eyes would have met in silent agreement.

I replied by writing a single word in the subject box: YES.

It seems everyone has an opinion on what it will take to improve our schools. Some so-called solutions are so complicated that they end up being more about politics and fancy gimmicks than student achievement. The simple truth – reflected in President Obama's words yet often taken for granted – is that few things are more critical to the success of our local schools than parent involvement and school districts have always appreciated this.

Fortunately, more and more supporters of our schools are shining a light on the role that parents play in school achievement. Regional initiatives like Strive and Agenda 360 and have helped advance the cause by placing a high priority on the issue of parental involvement as part of their strategies.

I have seen first hand the impact a group of committed parents can have on a school. The Cincinnati Public Schools my five children have attended – Sands Montessori, North Avondale Montessori, Walnut Hills and Clark Montessori – all benefit from strong parent involvement. However, I've also had the privilege of working as a volunteer alongside a committed group of parents at Rockdale Academy in the Avondale community.  Rockdale is often labeled as an "underachieving" school. Yet, inside its walls, there is a solid stream of parents dedicated to the school success making the prospects strong for its improvement.

Three of these Rockdale parents, along with 25 others from a variety of Cincinnati Public Schools, are now enrolled in the Parent Leadership Institute, a 60-hour comprehensive and voluntary leadership development program for parent engagement.  I had the honor of bringing the program to Cincinnati in 2007 when I chaired the board of Parents for Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati.
Those who enroll recognize that parent involvement does indeed matter. They are honored for their commitment at a graduation ceremony, and then sent forth to lead volunteer efforts in their schools. This is no easy task. I know from personal experience that it is not easy for parents to find time to take part in activities with their children and volunteer in their schools. With the economic hardships surrounding all of us, it is even more difficult for many parents to find the time and emotional energy to get deeply involved in their children's education. 

And yet, for these very reasons, there may be no more important investment that any parent can make. We need more parent involvement but we should be proud of those parents at Rockdale and other schools who are leading the way.