Dallas
Parent involvement is a leading factor in student success and outcomes. Students with involved parents are more likely than their peers with uninvolved parents to earn better grades, attend school regularly, have positive attitudes about school, and be better behaved. As a result, parents can help their children succeed by becoming an education advocate. Taking the time to be involved in your child’s education not only allows you to ensure your child is receiving the quality education he or she deserves, but also shows your student how important their academic success is to your family. Advocating for your child’s education means making sure that your child is getting the very best education possible.
In this section you can learn how to:
- Build relationships with people at your child’s school.
- Join parent organizations on campus.
- Get involved with decision making at your child’s school.
- How to find your School Board Representative.
- Access services provided by community organizations.
Building Relationships
The first step to becoming an advocate for your child’s education is to form relationships with teachers, counselors, coaches, and administrators at your child’s school. Forming these relationships early in your child’s time at school will make you feel comfortable going to these people when problems or questions come up.
If you have felt frustrated and do not understand the school process, or just have not had the opportunity to form these relationships, here are some great ways to get started:
- Attend school events when you are able, such as open houses, performances or award ceremonies.
- Join district groups, such as the School Health Advisory Council that focuses on health and nutrition policies within the district.
- Join parent groups or organizations at your child’s school.
- Get involved in after school programs that your child is involved in.
- Get involved with the Site Based Decision Making Committee at your child’s school.
- Volunteer with the school or in your child’s classroom.
- Vote in the School Board of Trustees election.
- Request a conference with your child’s teacher, counselor, or school administrator. If you work during the school day, you can request a conference at a time that works for you.
Outside of attending events and direct contact with the school, you can advocate for your child by communicating the importance of education. You can do this by:
- Making sure your child attends school regularly.
- Making sure your child does their homework.
- Making sure your child gets to school on time.
- Regularly checking your child’s progress through Parent Portal to identify any problems early.
- Regularly checking your child’s progress through Parent Portal to identify any problems early. On Parent Portal you have access to many school related indicators, including your student’s grades, homework assignments, and teacher contact information. Learn more about Parent Portal at Dallas ISD by visiting http://www.dallasisd.org/parentportal.
Parent Groups and Organizations
Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs), and Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) engage and empower parents to become advocates for their children. Although these organizations have similar missions, the PTA is connected to a local, state, or national association, while the PTO is specific to an individual school campus.
Many parent organizations keep parents involved and informed about what is going on at school. This might include organizing a school fundraiser, working with teachers or providing parent trainings on how to get involved at school. If you are interested in getting involved in these organizations, contact your school’s office about how to join. If your school does not currently have a PTA, PTSA or a PTO, you can start one.
Organizing a Parent Teacher Association
Any school official, parent or interested person can organize a PTA. First, gain the support of your school principal or superintendent, and multiple teachers. For more information about organizing a new local PTA, contact the Director of Member Services, Mary Jo Burgess, [email protected] or 1-800-TALK-PTA or visit their website at www.txpta.org.
Organizing a Parent Teacher Organization
To start a PTO, organize a group of interested people, agree on a common goal, and start working together to make it happen. Examples include running an ice cream social for parents, students and teachers to get to know one another, or a school fundraiser to raise money. Because every PTO is an independent organization, bylaws vary by organization. Learn more about organizing a PTO at www.ptotoday.com.
Note that some PTAs and PTOs have small membership fees.
Site Based Decision Making Committee
If you are interested in getting involved in the decision making that goes on at your child’s campus, you might consider joining your school’s Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) Committee. SBDM Committees are school based meetings that include teachers, administrators, community leaders and parents and are open to the public. Even if parents are not part of the committee, attending a SBDM meeting is a good way to meet school officials and learn about the latest updates at your child’s school. Contact your school directly to learn more about SBDM.
Dallas ISD Board of Trustees
The Dallas School Board includes nine trustees that are elected by residents of the individual districts and serve for a three-year term. Trustees have a variety of responsibilities including establishing school operational policies, hiring the Superintendent of Schools, allocating financial and human resources, and evaluating school performance. You can learn more about the Dallas ISD’s board policy online at http://pol.tasb.org/Home/Index/361. To find out which district your school is located in, visit http://www.dallasisd.org/domain/447.
Below is a list of the current board representatives.
- District 1: Elizabeth Jones (Term Expires 2015)
- District 2: Mike Morath (Term Expires 2014)
- District 3: Dan Micciche (Term Expires 2015)
- District 4: Nancy Bingham (Term Expires 2016)
- District 5: Lew Blackburn (Term Expires 2016)
- District 6: Carla Ranger (Term Expires 2014)
- District 7: Eric Cowan (Term Expires 2016)
- District 8: Miguel Solis (Term Expires 2014)
- District 9: Bernadette Nutall (Term Expires 2015)
If you have concerns about your child’s school, first, contact the school’s principal. If you are unable to resolve your concerns with the principal, you may contact the Board Services Department. Parents can also file a formal appeal against the decision of a principal. If you would like to file a formal appeal, use the following form, located under Policy FNG (Exhibit) on the online Board Policy server.
Community Organizations
Local community centers, churches, and nonprofit organizations are important resources for parent involvement. Some organizations offer parent trainings that can help you learn how to request and have successful conferences with teachers, counselors and school administrators. Here is a brief list of organizations that are working with students and parents in the community:
| Organization Name | Website |
|---|---|
| Avance | http://www.avance-dallas.org/ |
| Boys and Girls Club | http://www.bgcdallas.org |
| Catholic Charities | http://www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org/ |
| CitySquare | http://www.citysquare.org/ |
| Community in Schools Dallas Region | http://www.cisdallas.org |
| Dallas Afterschool | http://dasn.org/ |
| Kids U | http://kids-u.org |
| Project Transformation | http://projecttransformation.org |
| Readers to Leaders | http://www.readers2leaders.org |
| Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers | http://www.salesmanshipclub.org |
| Serve West Dallas | http://servewestdallas.org/ |
| Stand For Children | www.stand.org/texas |
| The Concilio | http://theconcilio.org/ |
| The Family Place | http://www.familyplace.org |
| Trinity River Mission | http://www.trinityrivermission.org/ |
| Voice of Hope | http://voiceofhope.org |
| Wesley Rankin Community Center | http://wesleyrankin.org |
| YMCA | http://www.ymcadallas.org |