Parent Leadership Projects

Parent Involvement at TTP's Partner Schools

The Parent Leadership initiative goes beyond leadership trainings to provide extensive support and technical assistance to each of Turning the Page's partner school's parent-teacher organizations. TTP supports parents on projects that they identify as things they would like to see at their schools. Building on the skills and knowledge they gain from Parent Leadership trainings, parents become empowered to work together to create new parent teacher organizations or strengthen established groups.

Garfield Elementary PTA Takes Flight!

In the past two years, TTP staff has witnessed remarkable growth in PTA participation among our partner schools. At Garfield Elementary in Southeast D.C., less than 10 parents were active participants in PTA activities at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. In the year that followed, Turning the Page staff members worked closely with concerned teachers and PTA leaders to create opportunities for more parents to become involved. A PTA leadership committee was formed and actively recruited new members to join them. A consistent meeting schedule was established, and PTA officers took on active leadership roles in planning and facilitating meetings. Information, support, and incentives were made available to parents who wanted to become school volunteers. Well-known community figures such as Council Member Marion Barry and other activists visited PTA meetings to encourage parents to get involved. By the end of School Year 2007-2008, over 25 parents were regular attendees at PTA meetings!

River Terrace Parents Have a Place to Call their Own

At Turning the Page, we believe that a successful school community consists of students who have the resources they need to learn, teachers who have the skills needed to inspire learning, administrators who share a passion for excellence in education, and community members who support efforts to build a solid educational foundation for the next generation of leaders. But most of all, we believe that parents are the key to unlocking the potential that every child and every school has to succeed. Without active parental involvement, schools cannot move forward as communities of learning.

Fortunately, at River Terrace Elementary, teachers and parents can take great pride in knowing that they now have a brand new Parent Resource Center where all parents are welcomed and encouraged to visit on a daily basis. With the help of Turning the Page staff and other community partners, including Jumpstart and Target Foundation, River Terrace Elementary was able to successfully open a new resource center for parents in April of 2008. Parent leaders were involved in every aspect of the center's creation: from the planning and design of the space, to the labor and construction of the room, and finally to the implementation of the opening ceremony and potluck dinner on April 29th.  "The PRC will serve the community by the workshops that we are going to put together. We are considering workshops in real estate, financial planning and resume writing as well as a tutorial on computer and internet basics," says Vanessa Johnson, upcoming PTA Vice President.

Pictures of the newly established Garfield and River Terrace Parent Resource Centers can be seen here.

Parents Have a Voice at Terrell Elementary

Parents who attend TTP programs and events (such as Community Nights and Leadership Trainings) benefit from the opportunity to meet and gather with other parents who face similar challenges, but share the same goals and dreams for their children and their school community. These supportive collaborations empower parents to take their concerns to school faculty and administration, and also give them the tools and confidence they need to work together as partners in education. This newfound determination was evident in a small group of motivated parent leaders from Terrell Elementary School, who came together as a group and voiced their concerns to the principal over poor performance on the school report card. This venue provided all concerned parties the opportunity to work together to effect positive change, and will hopefully be the first step towards creating a lasting partnership between parents and faculty.