That’s the cover of my new book, Building Parent Engagement In Schools. It will be available on September 30th, but you can pre-order it now if you want.
You can buy it through all the usual ways, including on Amazon. Since the list price is $35, Amazon lets you buy it without charging for postage and handling — if you choose that method (it just means you get a few days later). You can pre-order it at Amazon.
You can also order it directly from Linworth Publishing. They will give blog readers a twenty percent discount. The only catch is that you can’t order it from their website if you want the discount.
To get that discount, after September 30th (there doesn’t seem to a way to pre-order it from the publisher) you’ll be able to go here, print-out an order form and fax it to (888) 873-7017. Important — you have to put this special code on your order — 093BLA4 — and say it’s “Larry Ferlazzo’s blog discount.”
You can also call-in your order to (805) 880-6834.
The twenty percent discount also applies to ordering multiple copies.
Here’s a preview of the book.
Let me know if you have any difficulties with the ordering process.
I am in my seventh year as principal of a large suburban elementary school. For the past five years, I have held annual Principal’s Night In sessions where I serve a snack supper, divide parents into groups, and do what is called a Blue Sky activity where parents are asked to brainstorm ideas of things about the school they want to KEEP, STOP, and START. From this format, we have received great suggestions — many of which have been put in place through the school improvement plan.
My question — after this many years I would like to change up the format of the evening. Do you have any suggestions?
Jennifer,
One of the key points in my book is that it would be good for schools to consider themselves more of a community institution concerned about the whole neighborhood, and not just narrowly focused on their own typical understandable and to-be-applauded focus on student performance within their four walls. As Richard Rothstein has written, schools alone can narrow the achievement gap, but they can’t bridge it while families are dealing with issues like poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, lack of health insurance, etc.
It sounds like you’re doing great and creative work with the parents in your school, and they have a genuine voice in what happens there.
You might want to consider asking them about issues that are creating stress in their lives and the the lives of their neighbors, like economics, safety, etc., and have a discussion on how parents can work together — with the school — to try to respond to them.
I’m not trying to “hawk” my book, but it offers many specific examples of how schools can do this — with the energy of parents driving it.
Larry