Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/458422
Outreach to parents is vital for Compton educators T R E N G T H E N I N G P A R E N T T I E S in a diverse, multilingual community has been a priority for the Compton Education Association during the past year, as CEA stepped up an outreach program focusing on parental rights and hot-button issues like student debt. CEA believes that this outreach effort will benefit the community, garner support for CEA issues, and leave its members and district students less vulnerable to attacks from outside groups seeking privatization. Compton was the site of the nation's first "parent trigger" attempt. By Frank Wells Last spring CEA hosted a series of workshops explaining the new Local Control Funding Formula and the role of parents in developing the district's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The workshops, presented in English and Spanish to be inclusive of Compton's large Spanish-speaking population, were given by CTA staff members through a CTA community outreach grant that covered meals and materials. Many of the approximately 45 parents who attended at least one of the sessions were seeking information and support as they dealt with a school district bureaucracy that seemed to be discounting their input into district funding priorities. Compton, a lower-income community with a high propor- tion of English learners, will receive much-needed additional resources under the new funding model, and the parents wanted to make sure their budgeting recommendations were considered. The workshops were co-sponsored by the local chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), whose president is CEA Vice President Maria Sanchez. "We want parents to be empowered and to see us as partners," Sanchez says. "Many of their concerns are our concerns. The LCFF requires that parents be included in the planning, but we've found that without a strong parent education piece and support, the district often ignores them or gives differ- ent information to different groups." CEA, LULAC and the Compton Democratic Club have been especially vocal in criticizing the district's exclu- sion of parents from the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) process. D u r i n g t h e C E A w o r k - s h o p s , p a r e n t s b r o k e i n t o small groups and began brain- storming funding priorities. Issues like smaller class sizes, increased school safety and better facility maintenance were common themes, and all groups stressed the need for better support for English learners and their parents. One bone of contention was the lack of district-provided Spanish language resources for parents trying to participate in the LCAP process. The groups reported out and a list was compiled in preparation for an upcoming district meeting with parents on the LCAP. Unfortunately, Compton Unified School District offi- cials canceled that meeting and then rescheduled it at a time when many parents could not attend. Adding insult to injury, CUSD again failed to provide Spanish transla- tions of draft documents for those parents who could attend. The final LCAP adopted in June (which is avail- able in Spanish) did reflect some of the issues parents had raised, but others were missing or minimized. Frustration with a district that often ignores their input has only strengthened the resolve of CEA and concerned parents. A series of "common interest" m e e t i n g s b e g a n i n N o v e m b e r w h e r e parents, community leaders and CEA members are strategizing ways to make the district more responsive to their priorities. Budget priorities in a difficult district aren't the only issues CEA is working on with parents. As another part of the CTA community outreach grant and as part of NEA's Degrees Not Debt campaign, the union hosted a well-attended screening of the documentary The Ivory Tower, which deals with the growing student debt crisis in the U.S. For many in Compton, college is only possible with financial assistance, but the notion of graduating with a $30,000 debt puts a cloud over that hope. The event drew parents and high school and college students, as well as local community groups. CEA Vice President Maria Sanchez listens to parent concerns over district budget priorities at a local workshop. S Community engagement CTA & You 52 www.cta.org