Taking into consideration the critical juncture in which a great deal of schools, their English Learners Advisory Committees (ELAC) and School Site Councils (SSC) find themselves (due to the incumbent budget-cuts across the State, and primarily in SFUSD), the Parent Partner Program brought together the Parent Summit Steering Committee for a special session devoted to structuring discussions and organizing opinions about this extremely critical topic.
Gerber Marquez, Talking Circles Program Facilitator, and Dora Alvarez, James Lick M.S. ELAC’s Secretary & DELAC’s Language Representative, successfully co-facilitated a training session on “Meeting Facilitation and Successful Agenda Setting.” The audience was comprised of 16 parents who participate either in the ELAC or the SSC of the following schools: International High School, Mission High School, James Lick M.S., Cesar Chavez, Leonard Flynn and Marshall E.S., along with teachers and other support staff at those sites. Utilizing the “Plan to Lead” curriculum developed by Bay Area PLAN, these two audacious instructors provided guidance and tools for the participants to take to their respective sites, in order to better engage in a meaningful conversation about school funding priorities in the face of the cuts.
The training was followed by a quick update on the agencies and Parent Advocacy groups that have joined the Summit to share their expertise. Thus far those agencies are: Mission High Gear Up!, San Francisco College Access, The San Francisco Board of Education Parent Advisory Council, and potentially Chinese for Affirmative Action. More updates to come soon, along with the registration process and program for the day!!!