PTA Response to Chairman Miller’s NCLB Reauthorization Proposal

The PTA is extremely disappointed that U.S. Representative George Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, in a statement released earlier today, made no mention of parent involvement or community engagement as one of his goals in the upcoming reauthorization of NCLB.

As the preeminent voice of parents across this country, the PTA is persistent and outspoken in trying to get Congress to understand that a key indicator of student success is how involved parents are in their child’s academic life.

Between 1995 and 2000, more than 50 studies provided convincing evidence that families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school, according to a synthesis of current research on family connections by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory’s National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools.

It is a shame that Chairman Miller has not made community engagement more of a priority. Teachers and principals can not go it alone and government needs to realize that parents also have a huge stake in the education debate.

Our expectation is to work with Chairman Miller so that Congress will pass a bill providing more opportunities for parents to get involved, to build the vital parent-school-community partnerships, and to ensure schools will better inform parents about the progress of their child.