Board wants Simi schools to keep parents involved
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

It's no secret that parents play a vital role in their children's education.

To this end, one of the primary goals of the Simi Valley School Board this year is to increase parent involvement.

At last Tuesday's board meeting, members heard from the principals of two Simi elementary schools that are working hard toward that goal.

Big Springs Elementary Principal Beverley Radloff broke down her school's strategy into four components: communication, hospitality, PTA activity and community service.

Radloff said she writes a weekly newsletter every Sunday that goes in each student's backpack on Monday. The letter informs parents about important upcoming events.

"Parents know to look for that blue letter in their backpack every Monday," she said.

On Friday mornings, the school offers parents free coffee and cookies, giving them an easy opportunity to interact with staff. Back-to-school and open house nights also help make parents feel more at ease, Radloff said.

Instead of constantly trying new ways to get parents involved, Radloff said, the key is improving current lines of communication.

"It's about being consistent with what we know works," the principal said. "We make sure to reach out to new families."

Dolores Pekrul, principal at White Oak Elementary, said one of the keys to effective PTA involvement is breaking down large meetings into small groups.

"In a large group, people are more hesitant to speak up," said Pekrul, who estimated that parent volunteers spend more than 800 hours a month at White Oak.

"Small groups work well. . . . I think we need to ask parents directly what they want."

Pekrul said that welcoming incoming parents of kindergarten students before the school year begins is crucial.

There's a family picnic night before the first day of a school, where teachers and parents meet, and teachers warmly greet their students at the door on the first day of school.

Pekrul said she thinks setting a positive tone is important in making parents feel comfortable. White Oak teachers send out congratulatory notes to students and name students of the week in their classrooms. Teachers keep in touch with parents through regularly scheduled conferences and e-mails.

After the Tuesday presentations, school board president Rob Collins said he was clearly impressed with the efforts of both schools.

"I had no idea about all the great programs going on," he said.

Trustee Debbie Sandland said she wanted schools to find ways to stay in touch with families that have two working parents, while board member Eric Lundstrum encouraged fathers to play bigger roles.

Collins added that he wants to see schools reach out to parents who don't speak English as a first language. He asked Pekrul how the school welcomes parents who don't speak English.

"I think the best thing to do is greet all parents in the morning," she said. "If we can't speak their language, we'll find someone who does. We don't have a lot of (nonEnglish-speaking) parents, but those that are here feel welcome and their needs are being met."