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PARTNERS IN LEARNING:
A Good Place for Parents
to Hang Their Hats
It originated a number of years ago-little
shelves sitting in the hallway outside the kindergarten room
door, loaded with books, games, and toys for parents to check
out. Today, the Family Learning Center at Cedar Hall Elementary
School in Evansville, Indiana is a vibrant hub of family and
community involvement activities and services.
"The Family Learning Center is evolving," according
to principal Cathlin Gray. "It's no longer simply a place;
it's programs--and, even more importantly, it's a process."
The place is welcoming and accessible: a small classroom
with an outdoor entrance, friendly posters on the walls, a bulletin
board chock full of information. Gaylon Moschner, the full time
parent coordinator, is a mom from the neighborhood whose child
attended Cedar Hall. She knows the parents, the staff, the kids,
and the community.
The programs are varied: from GED and aerobics classes
to family movie nights and craft days; from parent-teacher meetings
to social work services, child care, and more. Cedar Hall is
a "full service" Title 1 school, serving 400 primarily
low income children and their families. The Center connects,
coordinates and communicates the wide range of activities that
take place at the school.
The process, however, is the critical element that makes
the center thrive. "It's about taking time to engage people--it's
about respect, honesty, and trust," says Gray. The focus
at Cedar Hall is on community strengths rather than needs. Parents
and community members are considered valued partners in the educational
process. It's a change in perspective that has served the school
well. Today, close to thirty community agencies meet at Cedar
Hall weekly to share ideas and collaborate on services for children
and families.
Something is working right. This year, the school's ISTEP
scores skyrocketed--a 20 percent increase in the number of students
scoring above standard in language and math.
According to the research of Vivian Johnson (see Good Resources),
the roles that Cedar Hall's Family Learning Center plays are
typical of parent centers in the schools she studied. These roles
include:
Symbolic: The existence of a family center in a school
signals a change in the role of parents and community from out-siders
to insiders, from invited guests to members of the educational
team.
Structural: Family centers provide a specific place within
schools for family and community members to participate in the
daily life of schools.
Linkage: Serving as connectors among family, school and
community, family centers provide a flexible resource for developing
and expanding partnership activities to support children's academic
and social success.
One of the most exciting things
that has happened as a result
of our center is the leadership
and empowerment that is emerging
from our parents.
--Cathlin Gray, Principal, Cedar Hall Elementary
School
Written by The Family Connection
of St. Joseph County, Inc. for Partners in Learning [Vol
2:3, 1999] a newsletter of the Indiana Center for Family, School
& Community Partnerships.
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