The national Appleseed education report, It Takes a Parent, and our Washington State findings have been well received by school officials, community-based organizations and parents. Both reports are cited by Washington education leaders, and the findings have influenced the parent engagement agenda. Washington Appleseed is now viewed as an important partner in the development of state-level family engagement policy.
We couldn't have asked for better timing for the release of the reports and the start of our education advocacy work. Shortly before the studies were published, the legislature funded two state-level programs dedicated to improving student achievement by involving families and caretakers. This fall, Washington Appleseed began working closely with the directors of the newly-created Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO), in the Governor's Office, and the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL), located in the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In November, our education policy analyst, Kelly Warner-King, attended a parent leadership training conference in Towson, Maryland, with Adie Simmons, the Education Ombudsman, and Janet Hayakawa, the Director of CISL. The conference was hosted by the Center for Parent Leadership, a Kentucky-based organization that Washington is considering as a model for parent leadership development. The group also met with Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Joyce Epstein, to strategize about how best to support and engage families at the state-level.
And in early December, the Seattle Post Intelligencer published an op-ed piece co-authored by Kelly and Adie Simmons, titled "Parents Key to Kids' Education." (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/294664_involveparents05.html)
As we move into 2007, Washington Appleseed will use funds from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to continue advocating for family involvement in schools tied to improving student achievement. Washington Appleseed is a sponsor of the Partnering for Student Success conference, to be held in Seattle on January 11th. This is the first statewide event designed for families and community members to be held by OSPI as part of its annual professional development conference.
Wishing all of you the best in this holiday season and many thanks for your support and encouragement -
Sue Donaldson
