Top News Stories
Parents and educators join forces for kids
Nov 12, 2009 10:47 AM
12th annual UFT Parent Conference
Presenter Kathleen Gaffney from the Regional School Support Center/UFT Teacher Center, wears Halloween headgear to her workshop, “What’s on the Tests, Grades 6-8,” at the Oct. 31 Conference.
[For more photos, go to the “12th annual Parent Conference” gallery]
At the 12th annual UFT Parent Conference on Oct. 31, some 3,000 parents eagerly soaked up information and ideas about how to help their children in school — and signed up in record numbers to advocate in the political arena for adequate education funding.
The parents’ conference is the union’s way of acknowledging the vital role that parents play both in the lives of individual students and as allies in the fight to improve public education. “Strengthening the home-school partnership” was the theme of this year’s conference, which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan and sponsored by the union’s Dial-A-Teacher program.
Parents chose from among 25 workshops ranging from “Baby Talk and Early Childhood” all the way up to “If Not College, What?” and “It’s Your Turn: Parents Going Back to School.” They had the chance to roam an exhibition hall and pick up resources ranging from brochures from the American Diabetes Association and Health Corps, to information from the New York Public Library, the Intrepid Museum and Invision publications celebrating black history and contributions to world culture.
Parents could also seek one-on-one advice or information about their child’s development or school progress from a guidance counselor, social worker or advocate at the “Ask the Experts” table.
In the exhibit hall, parents pick up information and resources from public and private agencies and organizations that are geared to helping children. Athletic, academic, health and cultural organizations were among the exhibitors.
Asking how many parents had students in 11th grade, former vocational high school student Sterling Roberson shares his own career path, with insights for today’s students, in the “If Not College, What?” workshop. Roberson returned to his high school as a teacher and is now the UFT’s vice president for career and technical education high schools.
“This was phenomenal,” said Sherriel Evans, mom to a 10- and a 12-year-old in the public school system in Manhattan. “I come every year, and it’s informative. This year, I went to the ‘Help! I Have a Teenager’ and the ‘Helping Boys Achieve’ workshops.
“As a parent, it’s imperative that you keep educating yourself,” Evans said. “You have to stay 10 steps ahead of your kids so they don’t pull the wool over your eyes!”
Evans was not the only parent who attends the conference year after year. Lashonia Jackson, a parent of three in Brooklyn, said she would use the information from the Learning Disabilities and Special Education Toolbox workshops that she attended to guide her children and also “share it with other parents — there were a lot of important resources.”
In the “Helping Boys Achieve” workshop, presenter Amina Rachman had many suggestions about meeting boys where their interests are: “Comics, graphic novels, the sports page of the newspaper — that’s all reading,” she said. Rachman also recommended finding tutors, which Title I funding now covers, and allowing boys to move around more in class.
Anthony Harmon, the union’s director of parent and community outreach and the Dial-A-Teacher homework helpline who served as master of ceremonies, said, “This is a wonderful event that treats parents with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
In his lunchtime address, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said that a strong home-school partnership was particularly important given the challenges facing families in today’s troubled economy.
“And it is our children,” he said. “Parents, educators and the community working together can move kids great distances.”
Rosa Vasquez (left), who has a child at PS 75 in the Bronx, Egma Bueno, whose child is at PS 11 in Queens, and Tulin Anil (standing), whose grandson is at PS 31 in Queens, take part in the “Social Studies: From ‘Me’ to the ‘the World’” workshop. Anil, a retired teacher from Turkey, said the workshop was “great ... we need to be more aware of social studies, and I want to discuss my grandson’s education and how he’s doing with his teachers.”
Parents like Lisa Millsaps-Muhammed, who has a child at PS 279 in the Bronx, had the opportunity to get answers to their questions during workshops which were geared to a range of interests, from literacy and math skills, to issues around autism and special education, to becoming a parent leader.
Although the UFT, parents and other allies together were able to lobby the state and federal governments to restore more than $1 billion in education funding last spring, Mulgrew said, the city cut $400 million in funds to schools, resulting in fewer after-school programs, larger classes and teachers stretched to the limit.
Proposed midyear state cuts of $223 million are now looming, he warned, and between the city and state, there is a projected $17 billion budget shortfall for next year. “So we will have to stand together and fight for smart ideas,” he said. “We have to drive every dollar we can into the classrooms of New York City public schools.”
“It won’t work unless we do this work together,” he said. “Are you ready to go to Albany if we have to? Are you ready to go to Washington if we have to?”
He was met with a resounding “yes!” — shouted in unison by the huge crowd — and deafening applause.
Ready to meet the challenge, close to a thousand parents signed the “Count on Me” cards to get involved and become advocates for their children’s education.
Chancellor Joel Klein also underscored the importance of shielding children from the economic downturn. “Our kids did not cause this mess and we have to make sure they don’t bear the brunt of it,” he said.
Dial-A-Teacher Director Anthony Harmon (right) honors his predecessor, Amina Rachman, for having “laid the foundation for this conference 12 years ago.” Harmon said the award was for her years of dedicated support to the parents and educators of New York City’s schoolchildren. UFT President Michael Mulgrew (center) praised Rachman’s work and said she had the largest retirement party of anyone, with the 3,000 people in attendance at the conference. Rachman thanked the parents who “have stepped up to educate yourselves for your children.”
