A weekend interview with ...

... Sheila Weiss, director of public relations for Voss & Associates, an education communications firm. Weiss, formerly spokeswoman for the Sarasota school district, is making the rounds encouraging Florida's school boards to adopt the Be There campaign, which focuses on parental involvement. Pinellas schools already have signed up, and Pasco is assessing its options. Weiss spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about the campaign.

Tell me what the Be There program is.

OK. It's not a program. It's not curriculum. It's a campaign. And it's a multimedia, research-based campaign that inspires parents to become involved in their children's education and their children's lives.

Don't we already have parents involved?

We certainly have many parents involved. But as the school districts know, less and less parents have the time to become involved at the school, to come in and volunteer at the school, or even to come to parent information night. And this is a way to just remind parents when they're doing every day routines of life to stop for a moment and connect with their child, give their child a hug, ask a question, impart their knowledge, be their favorite teacher. And in so doing that will make the ordinary routines extraordinary.

What kinds of things are you suggesting that schools would do in this effort?

We're asking the schools to carry the banner, the Be There banner. In essence, to use the components that we've developed to get the word out to parents. There are written components, there are public service announcements, there are posters and newsletter articles, and lots of components that schools can use.

You said there are several districts already joining up to do this. Which ones are involved?

Every day I'm getting calls from another school district. But at this point, we've got in the state of Florida alone Pinellas, Lee County, Charlotte, Volusia, Collier. Those have launched. Then we've got this whole group who are working on it to launch in January - Alachua, Okaloosa, Sumter and a number of others. But the nice thing about this is we're trying to make this a national campaign. So we've got school districts in Massachusetts, Virginia, Louisiana, Arizona, Nebraska, California.

And this all started in Sarasota?

Yes. It was developed here by Voss & Associates after we did a communication audit for Volusia County. And in that audit, everyone was saying the same thing: 'It's really important to communicate with parents, but where are they? We can't get them into the schools.' So after doing research, David Voss helped to develop this campaign. And it is ... a feel-good campaign, like Coca-Cola or Pepsi ... where it doesn't reprimand the parents, it doesn't inform the parents. It just inspires them with a gentle reminder. We would like it to be like the Don't Drink and Drive campaign ... which was highly successful around the country and was a multimedia campaign. That's what we're trying to do, make connecting with children the new norm in this country.

Do you have any results yet?

We have only a testimonial here and a testimonial there from individual principals. One middle school principal in Volusia wrote us that she needed to improve family involvement in her school and improve student achievement. So last year they really had an all-out effort, and Be There was a major component. They also got the Connect-Ed call out system. They just kept reminding parents to be there, to be there, to be there. And their test scores went up. So they really feel their whole concerted effort, with Be There as one component to whatever else they were doing, helped improve their scores. That's one school in one district. This is a long-term campaign. We see this being two to four year campaign before it makes a difference. Because you have to constantly hear that message to be reminded to be there.

Comments

[Manny]

Yes but look how good the school systems will feel. Their job of involving parents will be done. "Just look at what we do with parents". Capitalist make money off the woes of our education system and it happens everywhere.
Last time I heard, when it comes to education, the "school systems" are the experts. They are the one's that set the policies and curriculums.

But we have to have "feel good" campaigns and other tangents to help our school systems succced.

Here's a money making hint: Put "Be There" on the public school uniforms and "Been There" on the voucher school and private school uniforms.

Just send me my royalties.

I'm even more appalled than I was the first time I commented.

WHat the heck is the basis for the statement that involved parents are a "diminishing breed"? Who gives you the right to make that judgment? How dare you?

Many parents face TREMENDOUS OBSTACLES such as income, transportation, making ends meet, putting food on the table, -- maybe they have a chronic illness or are caring for elderly or sick family members as well as their children -- they don't know what a Blackberry is! Furthermore, they may not be able to volunteer at school because they have to make money to pay the electric bill. It doesn't mean they love their kids or value their kids any less. In my experience, most parents do the very best they can, often surmounting tremendous obstacles that your "campaign" does not take into account.

It's clueless, condescending, insulting, and does not address the struggles people face in our daily lives. . . what makes you think anyone is going to pay attention to it?

How dare you.

[Manny]

I hope the school administrators give credence to your hard work when the parents bring valid issues and concerns to them.

Do you have any statistics on the relationship trends between parents and school personnel?

A valid point was made about people who read this space are not the intended target. The targeted people will also not be able to overcome any obstacles they face when it comes to dealing with the bureacracy, and will give up.

[David Voss]

As the creator of the Be There campaign, we tried to make it adaptable to local districts while spending little or no tax money. All the materials for the campaign are free to districts. The only cost is printing localized material, which can be funded by a sponsor or the District. This is a multi-media campaign, not a program or a curriculum. We conducted extensive market research before developing these materials. If you ask educators, they will tell you that many parents need a little inspiration to bring their children to school ready to learn, and that parents are their most important teacher.

[Manny]

I see you are doing your job. How much does your program cost for a District to participate in the campaign?

[Sheila Weiss]

Clearly, the parents who read this education blog are not the parents for whom the campaign is intended. They are obviously interested and involved parents. Unfortunately, in today's world, they are a diminishing breed. Many parents are just too busy to connect with their children daily. Their jobs, outside commitments and even electronic devices like cell phones and Blackberries often take priority over giving their children attention every day.

Teachers and administrators are seeing the effects of fewer parents involved with their children’s lives and education. The Be There campaign simple reminds those busy parents to stop for a moment during everyday routines and connect with their children - give a hug, ask a question, impart their knowledge. When parents are their children’s favorite teacher, the benefits for both last a lifetime. When children feel supported and loved, they are more successful in school. That is the goal of Be There - to improve student achievement through improved parent involvement.

Be There is only one of many components school districts are using to engage parents in their children’s education. It isn’t intended to take the place of parents being welcomed and involved at the school. That should be a priority. Also, it isn’t designed to instruct anyone on how to parent; instead it is designed to merely inspire parents to be there for their children.

The Be There campaign was piloted last year in Volusia County, Florida, and will be evaluated there at the end of this school year. Based on anecdotal evidence thus far, we believe the campaign will make a difference in some children’s lives. And, if connecting with children becomes the new norm throughout this nation, perhaps, we’ll see thousands of more children succeed in school and in life.

[Manny]

If Brevard Parent is right, and I have no doubt that they are, this appears to be another one of those "check mark" actions done by Districts with no substance. It happens all the time.

When the District is asked "do you ....." and the District says "yes, we have such and such program," it ends there.

Just like nursing and busses - the check marks have been saying they are there. Who dares to expose they aren't.

[Brevard Parent]

I can tell you that this program in our county has included no invitation to be involved with the child's school or with the child at school. It only gives suggestions for what to do at home with your child outside of school hours. Visit bethere.org and check for yourself. This slick campaign gives districts a way to put some spending in the parental involvement column while continuing to send parents the butt out message.

[PinellasParent]

This "campaign" is insulting and condescending to me as a parent. What gives some consulting firm the right to assume that THEY have the right to tell ME how to "Be There" for my child. I dearly hope PCSB did not spend any money for this! I feel bad for the teachers and schools -- I know they are shortstaffed and underpaid -- but condescending to and lecturing parents on parenting is not the way to get the message across!