http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:49:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1890 Anonymous Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:57:00 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1890 I, too, have found that the family advocates don't really have access to information and aren't able to fully help parents. As a parent new to the public school system the family advocate in the schools district didn't have access to phone numbers that she needed to give me to enroll my child into school. I kept being told that they told know what's going on because Klein and Bloomberg were constantly making changes they couldn't keep up. Secondly, I was told by another advocate flat out she couldn't help me with an issue, to call the principal. I think the DFA is just another means of discouraging and ignoring parents. I, too, have found that the family advocates don’t really have access to information and aren’t able to fully help parents. As a parent new to the public school system the family advocate in the schools district didn’t have access to phone numbers that she needed to give me to enroll my child into school. I kept being told that they told know what’s going on because Klein and Bloomberg were constantly making changes they couldn’t keep up. Secondly, I was told by another advocate flat out she couldn’t help me with an issue, to call the principal. I think the DFA is just another means of discouraging and ignoring parents.

]]> http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1886 Anonymous Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:19:00 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1886 What an outrage that would be. The district family advocates are our "fighters" they are the ones that are helping parents when the DOE does not. I am one parent that has been assisted by my DFA and I can only say BOOOOOOO to the DOE for even of thinking of doing away with them. What an outrage that would be. The district family advocates are our “fighters” they are the ones that are helping parents when the DOE does not. I am one parent that has been assisted by my DFA and I can only say BOOOOOOO to the DOE for even of thinking of doing away with them.

]]> http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1884 Anonymous Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:22:00 +0000 http://insideschools.org/blog/2008/07/24/fewer-parent-advocates-this-fall/#comment-1884 Grrrr. This is infuriating. Under the current policy of Mayoral Control these positions were created to give parents who have been historically ignored by the DOE a way of solving a problem from enrollment to special needs. From my own experience with family advocates this year when I was faced with enrollment problems for two of my children they were helpful in recording my problem, but were mostly bright people who could guess what I should do & what might happen from past experience, but were unempowered & out of the loop. The DOE either purposely or through phenomenal oversight doesn't communicate information to them making them fairly impotent. If they are cutting $ by cutting back people, I do hope they will use their resources to give the remaining family advocates an informed voice! Same goes for parent coordinators & principals for that matter. Give them some accurate information to disseminate! Grrrr. This is infuriating. Under the current policy of Mayoral Control these positions were created to give parents who have been historically ignored by the DOE a way of solving a problem from enrollment to special needs. From my own experience with family advocates this year when I was faced with enrollment problems for two of my children they were helpful in recording my problem, but were mostly bright people who could guess what I should do & what might happen from past experience, but were unempowered & out of the loop. The DOE either purposely or through phenomenal oversight doesn't communicate information to them making them fairly impotent. If they are cutting $ by cutting back people, I do hope they will use their resources to give the remaining family advocates an informed voice! Same goes for parent coordinators & principals for that matter. Give them some accurate information to disseminate!

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