Parent Power!
Helping You Make Sense of Schooling Today

1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
1-202-822-9000 1-800-521-2118

parentpower@edreform.com
www.edreform.com

Published by
The Center for Education Reform
Jeanne Allen, President

To share a unique experience as a parent educating your child or comment about this newsletter, please contact Parent Power by phone or email.

Everyone knows summer is a great time to prepare your child for the academic challenges to come, but most parents do not think about how to prepare themselves for the next school year. Wouldn't it be great to know what to expect from the new teacher or new school? Wouldn't you like to know what your child will be studying next year? Maybe you would like to join a parent organization in your community or attend a conference for parents concerned about education. Here are some suggestions!

1 Schedule an "exit interview" with your child's teacher.
How did he do this year? What does he need to work on this summer? Ask for a reading list. Look over the recommended books, how well do they suit him? Challenge him to write about some of his favorites!

2 Find a parent group!
If you can't find one, found one! While you may not have any complaints about your child's school right now, communicating with other parents can help you become more prepared for challenges you might face in the future. One such parent group is Parents Raising Educational Standards in Schools (PRESS) - in Wisconsin. Founded five years ago by a small group of parents, PRESS now has more than 1,000 members and works to improve curriculum and school policy across the state.

3 Look into parent conferences.
Vermonters for School Choice is having a conference in August for parents and others interested in improving education. There are many other parent-led organizations meeting this summer; for details check local listings or CER's website (www.edreform.com).

4 Research your child's school.
How well does it prepare students? Does your school have a guide explaining what your child should know at the end of each year about history, science or English? How do you know these goals are being met? Do other schools in your area have more success meeting rigorous standards?

5 Read a book!
While libraries and bookstores have hundreds of books about education, think twice before you pick up just any book! Most of them do not merit your precious summer reading time. This month Parent Power! suggests several books you could read this summer to help you understand the real issues that affect your children's schools: Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity for American Education by Joe Nathan; The Schools We Need & Why We Don't Have Them by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.; What Your First-Grader Should Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. (now available for grades K-8); Straight Talk about Reading by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats.

At the Center for Education Reform we also have a wide variety of publications for parents such as The School Reform Handbook: How to Improve Your Schools and other reliable guides for making schools better.

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