This is definitely something that must be done in order to help take some of the stress load off our teachers. Allen does a very good job of this through the individual school PTA’s and by the classroom teachers. My experience has been that most parents want to help and will help if the teacher asks frequently for the help. Even parents who work will find a time to come in to help with a specific project if schools will schedule them in advance. I also found a lot of working parents willing to do work at home if the teacher specifically asks for help. Work that can be done at home would include publishing the completed project of students, cutting, pasting, drawing, completing certificates, or making phone calls. As the children grow older a lot of the volunteers work as booster parents. This participation is extremely helpful and involves the parent in the schools.
All schools according to an article in Educational Leadership, March 2007, will have to involve the baby boomer generation in schools or it will cost them in the way of raising money to maintain and build schools. The article suggests that we not only begin to involve parents but grandparents in the schools. Allen has had several grandparents helping in the PTA and volunteering in classrooms. These are very dedicated, dependable volunteers. The schools need only to appeal to the groups these people are participating in and have a program in mind. The older generation of volunteers likes to have specifics about what they will be doing: reading to children, listening to children read, playing games, helping students complete work or talking with children or reviewing math. Even now the group that votes most consistently and the group in the community whole totally support education are the fifty and older
Why am I running for the Allen ISD School Board?
I retired from teaching in 2006, and am running for a position on the Allen Independent School District Board of Trustees in the May election. I am often asked why I am running for the Board, and I have several reasons I believe are important.
First, I was always happy teaching school. I think this is evident by the number of my children who followed me in this great and honorable career. I feel that I need to give back to the students and professionals who gave me 43 happy and enriching work years.
Secondly, I have a great passion for public education. We in Allen are blessed because we still have some of the small town "feel" left in our schools. However, I believe we must return to the principle upon which public schools were created: to reflect not society, but the best of our society; if our schools do not subscribe to the highest expectations--not only in academics, but in citizenship, character and mutual respect--public education as we know it will turn into a system of private schools with each segment in our society having their own school. Our forefathers probably made our country what it is today because they enacted the free public school education laws. Our schools must return to the position they once held in our culture: that of promoting, expecting and requiring that our schools exemplify the highest standards of society.
Thirdly, I have a personal interest in keeping Allen schools the best they can be. I have one grandchild who graduated from Allen High School, one currently attending AHS, one is a pre-kindergarten student at Bolin Elementary, and two others who will be in AISD in the next two years. All of these children make education--particularly in Allen--of grave importance to me.
In my opinion, "It's all about the kids" is not a public relations statement, but rather a personal mission philosophy I embrace and I am pursuing for the benefit of not only my grandkids and the other children of Allen, but also for all the little ones yet to come.
First, I was always happy teaching school. I think this is evident by the number of my children who followed me in this great and honorable career. I feel that I need to give back to the students and professionals who gave me 43 happy and enriching work years.
Secondly, I have a great passion for public education. We in Allen are blessed because we still have some of the small town "feel" left in our schools. However, I believe we must return to the principle upon which public schools were created: to reflect not society, but the best of our society; if our schools do not subscribe to the highest expectations--not only in academics, but in citizenship, character and mutual respect--public education as we know it will turn into a system of private schools with each segment in our society having their own school. Our forefathers probably made our country what it is today because they enacted the free public school education laws. Our schools must return to the position they once held in our culture: that of promoting, expecting and requiring that our schools exemplify the highest standards of society.
Thirdly, I have a personal interest in keeping Allen schools the best they can be. I have one grandchild who graduated from Allen High School, one currently attending AHS, one is a pre-kindergarten student at Bolin Elementary, and two others who will be in AISD in the next two years. All of these children make education--particularly in Allen--of grave importance to me.
In my opinion, "It's all about the kids" is not a public relations statement, but rather a personal mission philosophy I embrace and I am pursuing for the benefit of not only my grandkids and the other children of Allen, but also for all the little ones yet to come.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
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