Maryland PIRC Website
The Maryland State Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC) has a very good website with lots of resources for teachers, administrators and parents. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Search Results for: "pirc"
“Duncan Tells PTA of Plans to Double Parent-Engagement Aid”
Education Week has a short article about Education Secretary Duncan telling a PTA National Conference that the administration asking Congress to double parent engagement funds next year. I wonder, though, where all this fits in with their eliminating funding for the PIRC’s — the Parent Information and Resource Centers… Does anybody know?
The Best Overviews Of Parent Engagement
There are lots of ideas out there about effective parent engagement/involvement. Here are a few resources that provide useful overviews of the field. You might also be interested in seeing all my parent engagement-related “The Best” lists here. Here are my choices for The Best Overviews Of Parent Engagement: Involvement or Engagement? is the title […]
October is “Parent Involvement Month”
October is recognized in a number of states as Parent Involvement Month, thought others recognize it in November or March. States that I’ve seen announce it for March include Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Do you know of others?
“Parent involvement centers to close for lack of funding
The Obama administration said awhile ago that it was going to eliminate funding of the Parent Information and Resource Centers, and I’ve previously posted several times about it being a mistake. It’s going to happen at the end of this month, and you can read about it at this Washington Post piece, “Parent involvement centers […]
Statement From Congressman Who Supports Parent Engagement
Republican Congressman Todd Russell Platts was the leader in getting a House Committee to vote for restoring funding to Parental Information Centers (PIRCs). He’s also a co-sponsor of the Family Engagement in Education Act of 2011. Here’s his official statement in support of parent engagement and the PIRC funding.
House Committee Votes To Retain Funding For Parental Information & Resource Centers
A House committee voted today to retain funding for the Parental Information & Resource Centers (PIRCs). I haven’t been following this issue that closely, but I have to say that I’m surprised. I’m not sure if the National PTA was the primary lobbying force behind it or not but, if whoever was appears to have […]
This Is The Best Piece I’ve Seen On Parent Involvement & Obama’s “Blueprint For Reform”
Holding on to Parent Voices is the headline of an article in the new issue of District Administration. It provides an in-depth analysis of how parent involvement issues are affected by the Obama Administration’s “Blueprint for Reform,” which lays out general principles for reauthorizing No Child Left Behind. These issues include the proposed elimination of […]
“Transforming Schools Through Family, School, and Community Engagement”
Transforming Schools Through Family, School, and Community Engagement is the title of a recorded webinar that can be viewed for free online. The presenters are: * Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education * Anna Hinton, Director, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department […]
Family Engagement in Education Act Introduced In Congress Today
The Family Engagement In Education Act was introduced in Congress today. The bill, championed by the National PTA would: provide incentives to districts and schools to implement best practices, such as parent leadership academies, placing family engagement coordinators in schools, and professional development for educators on how to partner with families. The Family Engagement in […]
The Indiana Partnerships Center
The Indiana Partnerships Center is Indiana’s Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC), and has quite a few useful resources on its website, including a downloadable research brief. It’s unfortunate that President Obama’s budget proposes that funding for all state PIRC’s would be eliminated.
Alabama Parent Education Center
The Alabama Parent Education Center sponsors the Alabama PIRC, which seems to have a very useful and active blog and Twitter account sharing some excellent resources. You might want to consider subscribing to both, or at least periodically checking them out.
President’s Budget Eliminates Parent Information & Resource Centers
Parent Information and Resource Centers are federally funded organizations in every state and territory in the United States. They are designed to promote parent involvement/engagement in schools. According to the PTA, the Obama administration is proposing their elimination and “consolidation” so they focus their efforts on charter schools. From what I can see, the caliber […]
Info From Anne Henderson
Anne Henderson has been researching parent involvement/engagement strategies for many years, and we cite several of her research findings in our book. She is also the co-author of Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships. I’ll be interviewing her for this blog in the coming months. She provided testimony to the United […]
October Is “Parent Involvement Month”
Much to my surprise, I’ve learned that October has been proclaimed “Parent Involvement Month” by Governors of a number of states to recognize the importance of the school/family connection. This can obviously mean a lot of different things to a lot of people, but it might be one more good “excuse” to initiate a conversation […]
The Family Involvement Network Of Educators
FINE: The Family Involvement Network of Educators is a project of the Harvard Family Research Project and the Harvard Graduate School Of Education. They publish a free online newsletter. Here’s their summary of the most recent issue: “At this moment of political change, the FINE Newsletter focuses on family involvement and the policies that support […]