On the JCPS website, under the Parent Involvement tab, it states,
We believe that parents are their child’s first teachers. Our philosophy is to serve the total child. To do this, the entire family must be involved. Family support is essential if the child is to have the best opportunity for success in school and in life. Parents are not only welcome but also encouraged to participate in the classroom and in other aspects of the program.
However, once again, the district’s legislative agenda for 2022 has no mention of parents, families, or removing barriers to their participation in site based decision making councils, parent teacher organizations, and no effort to level the playing field when it comes to parental involvement within our schools or our students’ lives.
In December of 2019, Dear JCPS published our draft of Legislative Priorities, entitled, Educational Justice With “E’s”. The following night, I spoke at the JCPS Board Meeting asking that district leaders add SBDM and parental involvement to their legislative agenda.
Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/MZ-oqaCXoYo?t=2475
After a CONSIDERABLE amount of back and forth between district leaders and legal team, we FINALLY got an answer to whether or not a REAP had been conducted on the student assignment plan, which it had not. I have asked on several occasions to determine if SBDMs were equitable and the opportunity to add this item to the legislative agenda continues to be overlooked.
On prior occasions, I asked the district to investigate reports that election tampering had been taking place in our parent teacher organizations and site based decision making councils.
Here is a list of Concerns with Recent PTA Elections and Board Makeup I created, which was part of a more comprehensive list of documented controversies.
Other resources:
11-12-19 – https://www.wave3.com/2019/11/12/jcps-board-talks-priorities-legislative-agenda/