Parents should be more involved in decisions affecting their children’s performance on tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, PTA members said.

“Parent involvement in a child’s education is a major factor in determining success in school,” said Betsy Landers, secretary and treasurer for the National PTA, referring to the federal law that requires every student to be 100 percent proficient in reading and math by 2014.

Simple steps parents can take include getting to know their students’ teachers, participating in various school activities and just being involved in their children’s lives, said Susan Katz, president of the PTA Council of Baltimore County and parent of two college graduates.

“We really want parents to be an active part in their child’s education,” she said.

“The ultimate success is when our college graduates can compete and get a job.”

Parents also can send a representative, not necessarily their PTA president, to school board meetings and other local meetings and then report back to the their PTA, said Rick Tyler, a parent and legislative committee delegate with the Maryland PTA.

Although parental involvement cannot be mandated, the government can provide parents opportunities to become and stay involved in their child’s education.

“Parents must be better informed of what is going on in each child’s school, and each state must hold schools accountable for implementing their parental involvement plans,” Landers said.

Landers, a PTA member from Tennessee since 1989, was one of the speakers at the Maryland PTA’s 92nd fall convention held in Towson this weekend.

“One of the easiest things we can do is the most important: Uniting our voices,” Landers said. “We are the only organization our there standing up and speaking for the kids.

“Money will always be an issue. How do we solve it. You speak up.”

AT A GLANCE

National PTA’s four principles of parent involvement:

» Parents should hold schools accountable for meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind Act. For example, parents should help school officials evaluate proposed changes in the curriculum.

» Parents should receive timely and understandable information on school performance.

» Parents should build partnerships with community groups and businesses to encourage the school’s success.

» Parents should encourage the use of better resources for teachers to bolster the school’s performance.

Source: National PTA

jkowalkowski@baltimoreexaminer.com