 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
 |
||
|
PALs Update Dear PALs, As the founder of Parents Advocate League, I am proud to say our organization has come a long way since it started in 2007, but the focus has remained the same: educate and mobilize parents to have a stronger voice for all students. I have met amazing parents and leaders who share the same concern that students seem to be the last priority in education. The past few months, we have dedicated most of our time to creating a clear and stronger commitment to Parents Advocate League, knowing parents are the key to ensuring educators and leaders are accountable to student success. Helping us with this renewed dedication to PAL is our incredible Board of Directors who has been fully devoted to student success for many years. Over the last twenty years, education reform groups have placed much needed concentration on low socioeconomic areas in an effort to improve education. Resources have been solely dedicated to these areas, which continue to be in great need of assistance in every way. However, it has left other groups of parents ignored due to the misconception that areas outside of the low socioeconomic focus are achieving academic success. PAL recognizes that failed education policies are the same in every zip code; therefore, it is critical to include all parents in banding together for every student. Improving education for all students, especially those most vulnerable, PAL will focus on changing education policies to focus on students by engaging the “forgotten middle” parent. The “forgotten middle” parent is an unrecognized, underutilized and hugely valuable resource to effect change in education that will help children in every zip code. Children cannot wait. It is time to engage more parents in this fight to improve education to help every student. California prides itself on being the cutting edge of leading our nation into new ideas and technologies which will better our world. California has the most students in the nation of all demographics. It should be an academic leader in our nation. Instead, students in California are met with a lack of accountability toward student achievement, legislation that caters to special interest groups, and parents that seem to have no other choice but to trust the system. If you think your child is doing just fine, think again. California is ranked 46th in student achievement in America. Recently, PISA ranked 15-year-old students globally. America received the following low rank once again: 17th in Reading; 26th in Math, and 21st in Science (Source: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/PISA-2012-results-US.pdf ). Lousy education policies affect every child regardless of where you live. This also means you may not know how poorly your child is doing until he or she is applying to college competing on a global level, and by then, it will be too late. I hope you continue to be an informed and integral part of PAL helping ensure all students achieve success. Students need you to continue this fight for their futures. Please take time to forward this email to other parents and encourage them to become an informed advocate for their child’s education. We need more PALs for students. We are looking forward to expanding our efforts in 2014 in California, especially in Los Angeles County. If you would like to gather a small group together to learn more about how you can help students, we would love to meet you. Please contact our Outreach Director, Romney Miller at Romney@parentsadvcocateleague.org . Also, if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please donate. Your donation will help us continue to work to empower parents to advocate for their children. I hope you and your family are enjoying this holiday season. I wish you a well-informed and happy 2014. All the best, P.S. You will be happy to know we are not in this fight alone. Here is a list of other organizations in California and America dedicated to helping students. Take time to visit their websites and join their efforts as well. We are stronger when we are together and informed. |
||