By CATHERINE MAGOUYRK
Superintendent
Manassas City Public Schools
When I entered the world of public school education as a starry-eyed math teacher, it didn’t take long for me to learn that although I was charged with the task of teaching formulas and equations, I, and the other educators in my building were not the most important teachers in my student’s lives.
The truth of the matter is parents, family members and even neighbors are the first teachers children encounter. The adage that “it takes a village to raise a child” is still true. This is why Manassas City Public Schools recently launched a new initiative called, “Be There”.
Be There is a multi-media campaign designed to inspire families to become more involved in their children’s education. While parent involvement in the school building is very important, Be There focuses on the benefits of parental involvement at home. Research shows that family and community involvement makes a huge difference in student achievement. Basically, we can’t do it without you, whether you are a parent, a sibling, a mentor or a supportive community member and taxpayer. The home environment is the strongest indicator of student success.
We are reaching out to families with the Be There campaign based upon solid research. National surveys show schools where teachers reported high levels of outreach to parents, test scores grew considerably higher than in schools where teachers reported low levels of outreach. Research indicates the following benefits of family and community involvement for students:
• Higher grades and test scores
• Better attendance and more homework done
• Higher graduation rates
You may think it’s difficult to be involved because your days are full. We understand. As I mentioned, the Be There campaign takes a little different approach to traditional parent involvement. Simply engage your child in a conversation about what happened each day at school. Ask specific questions about teachers, friends and extra-curricular activities. No matter your child’s age, use everyday moments — like trips to the bank, grocery store or gas station — to teach your child about money matters, reading food labels or conserving energy. Turn routine trips into games. For more information and ideas, visit www.betheremcps.org.
As our division’s Strategic Plan is being developed, community engagement and family involvement have been deemed as a top priority. The Be There campaign is an excellent way to put this in action.
