Thanks to all of you who attended our May 13 event: “School Reform in DC: What’s Happening and What You Can Do.”  

Listed below are the calls to action that our break-out group sessions presented, as well as other calls to action to help our struggling students.  If each of us pool our time, energy, and resources to act on these recommendations we CAN make a difference!  Now, let’s Keep the Momentum Going!! 

Calls to Action:

Educators and school leaders

• Join the Reform-minded Educator’s Forum with DC School Reform Now to stay updated on ideas to further student achievement in DC by emailing us at info@dcschoolreform.org
• Work with school leadership to begin focus groups during time set aside for professional development for teachers, school leaders and colleagues to share knowledge and mentor each other.
• Create an environment where parents feel welcome and trusted in your schools and classrooms, encouraging classroom observation similar to the proposed “Fabulous Fridays” where parents come in for classroom observation on a given day
• Ask your students’ family to fill out a form describing their child’s habits (e.g. what calms them down, how do they excel, etc.)

Family and community members

• Get involved in improving local schools by joining the PTA or LSRT (even if you don’t have school children of your own)
• Go to the school for classroom observations and meeting with your child’s teachers about how you can help foster your child’s academic achievement
• Speak to your child about school (e.g. how they can strive to do their best, how are they doing in their classes, where are they struggling so they can potentially get extra help from teachers or attend tutorials, etc)

Accountability implementers

• Maintain excellent communication with teachers and school leaders regarding accountability programs (e.g. IMPACT) to ensure those being held accountable understand the program, are invested in it, and participate not because they have to but because they also see its value towards student achievement

All

• Become a member of DCSRN by signing the pledge at http://dcschoolreform.org/act-now/sign-the-pledge/ to: 1) support reform in DC that focuses on improving student achievement, 2) stay abreast of what is going on with school reform in the District and how to get involved, and 3) receive alerts when you can take specific action (e.g. support the teacher’s contract, encourage council members to base decisions on the best interests of students, learn how to evaluate whether political candidates support reforms that are in our children’s best interest, etc)
• Run for political office: Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, City Council, etc
• Host a house party (which can be facilitated by DCSRN) to help mobilize other community members and spread the need for reform

Thanks again for supporting DC School Reform Now and Teach For America*DC Region and working with us to improve student achievement in DC!