Action Tools to Help Parents
Become Advocates








  Program Action: Discuss Family Advocacy
 Parent Action: Speak Out and Act for Children
 


                   Program Action: Invite Discussion of a Family Center
                 Parent Action: Stay Involved
 

Tool 7                                        Speak Out and Act for Children


 
Program Action: Discuss Family Advocacy

Purpose
Families learn how they can exercise their rights and responsibilities as advocates for children.

Staff learn what skills parents have used as advocates for their child and what areas they would like to strengthen.

Suggested Materials

Tool 7-Parent Action: Speak Out and Act for Children
Information on state and local laws

Suggested Times

During home visits, parent-teacher conferences, transition planning meetings, or other one-on-one meetings with parents

Tips for Leaders

    · You may need to remind parents of the ways they have been successful advocates in Head Start so they feel confident about using their skills in another setting.
    · To learn more about local laws that impact parent rights and responsibilities, get to know others in the community who work with families and children. Suggest that parents do this too.


Leading the Discussion

    · Use the information on side 1 of the Parent Action sheets to help parents understand how they can be advocates for their child during transitions and throughout the child's education. Ask parents to point out the transition advocacy steps they want to take.
    · Review with parents their advocacy experience and skills by using the questions on side 2. Help parents plan ways to build their skills by taking part in program activities and using additional Action Tools.
    · Use the checklist on side 3 to talk about the responsibilities of parents and schools. Explain that parents can use the checklist to identify and discuss with staff their concerns about the school.
    · Share the list of rights on side 4 and explain that to exercise their rights and responsibilities parents need to know key contacts. Point out that sometimes they will need to be persistent and talk with more than one person. Suggest parents use side 5 to begin a directory of key contacts.

Parent Action: Speak Out and Act for Children

Purpose: Parents are the most powerful advocates children have in schools.  Find out what rights and responsibilities you have to speak out and act for your child.
 

Head Start Programs must support parents as they become advocates during
transitions both into and out of Early Head Start or Head Start. They must also educate parents to exercise their rights and responsibilities in the school setting.

 
Advocates: Speaking Out and Taking Action

What does it mean to be an advocate during transitions?

When your child moves to a new setting, you may find there are things you want to change or improve.

When you speak out to share information and voice your concerns, you are an advocate. When you take action to make improvements in programs or make sure your child is treated fairly, you are an advocate.

How can you be an advocate during transitions?

  • Find out all you can about the new program and speak out about things that concern you. (See Tools 4, 5.)
  • Take part in transition planning teams and share information about your child and family. (See Tool 6.)
  • Learn about and exercise your rights and responsibilities. (See Sides 3 and 4 of Tool 7.)
  • Take part in making decisions about your child's education, the program's operation, and policies that affect all children. (See Tool 8.)
  • Join and involve other parents and community groups to take action for all children. (See Tool 9.)
A Parent Story

A parent stopped coming to Head Start to volunteer after a day when a child in her group was too hard for her to handle. 

I told her that she made a difference for her child and all the other children in the class room. She decided to ask the teacher for suggestions for working with the child.

After getting a few tips from the teacher, the parent found things went smoother. Now she is one of our best volunteers.

Anyone could have told her that she was needed, but I think it helped that I was also a parent.

Former Head Start Parent

 
Action Step: Remember a time when you were an advocate for your child

What did you say or do to make sure your child was treated fairly? What was the result?
 
 
 

What made it hard or easy for you?
 
 
 

What skills do you think would help you be a better advocate (e.g. speaking skills, ability to work in a group, networking skills)?
 
 

Action Step: Plan how you will build your skills
(e.g. use Parent Action pages, ask a parent leader to help you,
attend support group meetings)

 
    What responsibilities do parents and schools have?
While your child attends school or child care, you and the school staff share the job of caring for and teaching your child.
 
Parent responsibilities
  • Make sure your child has nutritious meals, plenty of rest, and health care.
  • Make sure your child is on time and attends the program every day.
  • Pay attention to the care and education your child receives out of the home.
  • Keep track of school goals and your child's progress. Make sure your child is learning what she needs to know to meet school- and district- specific standards.
  • Communicate with staff and follow procedures to solve problems.
  • Have high expectations for your child and always speak positively about education.
  • Be involved in making decisions about your child's education.
School responsibilities
  • Provide a safe and healthy environment for children.
  • Share school goals, policies, and procedures with students and parents.
  • Develop high standards for all students. Make sure students learn what they need to know to meet the standards.
  • Provide extra help to make sure all students can meet the standards.
  • Report on the progress of each student and the overall progress of all students.
  • Develop and carry out plans for school improvement.
  • Involve parents in their children's education.
  • Explain to parents how the system works.

 
What rights do you have as a parent?
Sometimes parents and school staff may not agree about what is best for the child. Because parents have the major responsibility for their children's well being, certain laws give parents power.

As a parent you have these and other rights:

· To ask the school to evaluate your child if she has a problem learning or adjusting, or may have a disability

· To obtain school policies, procedures, standards, and reports of outcomes such as student test scores, promotion, graduation, and discipline

· To see, understand, and have an opportunity to correct your child's school records

· To ask for related services that will help your child learn if your child has a physical or mental disability that interferes with a major life activity (for example, walking, talking, learning, or hearing)

· To meet with other parents and speak out about your concerns

· To obtain information about school policies, the course of study, and the school budget

· To have your child tested in the language he knows best

· To receive communication from the school in your primary language

· To ask for a due process hearing to help solve problems including any disagreement with the school about your child's disability, evaluation, education services, placement, and procedural rights

· To ask for extra services in the classroom to help your child with special needs

Adapted with permission fro Parents Are Powerful by Anne Henderson (Center for Law and Education, Washington, DC, 1996).

 
Action Step: Finding key contacts

Find out who to talk with if you have a question or concern so you can exercise your rights and responsibilities.  Ask for the names and numbers of contact people in the new school system and for information on the kind of questions they can answer.
 

Name
Phone Number
Principal:
Teachers:
School counselor:
Program specialists:
Policy council Chair:
PTA or PTO president:
Other parent leaders:
Head Start parents:
School board contact:
Elected officials:
Community advocates:
Other:


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