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Center for Education Reform Releases Parent Power Index Tool
posted by: Alix | September 17, 2012, 04:07 PM   


With the release of the highly-anticipated movie Won't Back Down just around the corner, many parents viewing the movie will undoubtedly leave the theater inspired to take up the same fight as the dedicated mothers in the film. Fortunately there is a new tool for parents and other education stakeholders to inform them about their own child's education from the Center for Education Reform (CER). Released this week, the new Parent Power Index ranks the states based on how much power parents have over their children's education.


The Parent Power Index is an interactive, web-based tool that – based on an evaluation of state policies – measures the ability in each state of a parent to exercise choices, to engage with their local school board, and to have a voice in the systems that surround their student. States that ranked the highest on the index offer a high degree of options to parents and engage them more directly in school decisions. Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, and the District of Columbia currently rank as the top 5 most engaged states in the U.S., respectively.

"Parents want and deserve power over their child's education and most states do a poor job of providing it," said CER President Jeanne Allen. "The Parent Power Index represents the first time someone has quantified for parents how much power they do or don't have over their child's education. And just as important, the Parent Power Index educates parents on how to use the power they do have as well as how to get more. It's vital information that's been missing from their arsenal – until now," Allen continued.

In discussing education reform with AAE members, parental engagement and empowerment are topics that frequently arise as major issues. As one member recently wrote, "The key to student success is engaging parents with real information from their child's school. We need to be true partners with parents in order to effect change."

This new tool will clearly be instrumental in engaging new stakeholders. Parent power in education is not just about public interest, but the right of parents and taxpayers to engage in what's happening in public schools.

Click here to view the new Parent Power Index web tool.

What do you think about the issue of parental empowerment and engagement?
Comment below.

 

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