Beyond the Backpack: Be School Savvy

Summer break is ending and the new school year is upon us, which brings bittersweet excitement for both kids and parents. We love watching our kids step into a new grade, hearts full of curiosity. We pray that their school year ahead will be filled with learning, new friendships, and wonderful memories.

The beginning of the school year is also a time for parents to build new relationships with the teachers and administrators at their schools. Not only does this help make the year more enjoyable, but it also keeps schools accountable for transparency and honesty.

America’s Women focuses a lot on education – from mentoring, training and equipping excellent school board members, to fighting for school choice options so parents can send their kids to schools that align with their values, to educating families on homeschooling resources, we strive to provide everyone with the tools they need for a positive experience for their families.

If you’re interested in learning more, we have two webinars coming up that we encourage you to join:

• School Board Leadership Webinar - Data-Driven Decision Making- This webinar is for school board members & candidates with guest speaker, Dr. Kelly Kohls who will inform you on how to use performance data, assessments and key metrics to help school boards make informed policy decisions and monitor progress toward academic goals. Click here to register!

  
  

• Education & Homeschooling Webinar: The Purpose of Education & Homeschooling as the Gold Standard – we invite you to join a special webinar featuring Alex Newman, an award-winning international journalist, educator, author, speaker, and nationally syndicated radio host. Alex brings a wealth of experience in education and public policy, with a focus on faith, family, and the future of learning. Click here to register!

This week’s blog is written by Tiffany Hawkins, a parent in the Deer Valley School District. Thank you, Tiffany, for writing this blog and for the great back-to-school tips.  ~ Kim

Going back to school is a fun and exciting time - students returning to their friends they missed all summer long, seeing what the new school year has in store and watching the new experiences your child(ren) will get with their teachers and classmates. Parents and community members are encouraged to engage often with their schools, as schools genuinely want to know how their decisions make an impact on students and parents and it is a great way to show our children how best to serve their community. 

As the school year starts, here are some helpful suggestions all of us can do to help our student(s) have a successful year. 

• Volunteer: Volunteering is a great way to stay informed and take part in assisting the students and staff. There are many areas in the schools you can volunteer - assisting the teacher with projects or helping students directly in the classroom, helping in the office with clerical duties, and helping shelve the books in the library/media center. These small contributions support the teachers and will foster the importance of community outreach to the students. 

• Join a school board committee: By joining a school board committee, parents and citizens can provide valuable insights and perspectives on issues that may not be immediately apparent, which can influence the Board’s future decisions. Space is limited on these committees, but each small work group is vital for providing clear guidance and collaborative effort between the community and Administration. Working on a committee provides for deeper research and dialogue on specific items, before anything is voted on for approval. The committee report gives insight and consideration to the districts critical work, which is then brought forward and evaluated by the Board for a vote. Participating in a school committee also displays to students, that you lead by example in contributing to the decision-making processes, which benefits the larger community. 

• Donate supplies and resources: I’ve had conversations with many teachers who’ve been fortunate to have donations to their wish lists and generous parents who have the means. It means so much to the students and teachers when we support those who support our students. But we know districts are not always allocating enough supplies to the teachers, which provides our children with inadequate resources. We must speak up to the administration to ensure our teachers have the proper tools to provide the best education. Any donation of time or resources you can provide to a teacher, goes a long way and positively impacts the students’ future successes. 

• Know your rights as a parent: As a parent, you have the right to raise your child in a manner consistent with your beliefs. This includes opting your child out of certain surveys, health care screenings and content. Click here to learn more about the parent’s rights under Arizona law and read below for examples of areas you may want to opt out of. 

Opt-In/Opt-Out Forms

At the beginning of the school year, we as parents have a lot of essential tasks we must complete to ensure a successful year. The beginning typically starts with substantial amounts of paperwork that we must carefully check, sign and acknowledge. Each district may offer different options on how to Opt IN/OUT of certain programs or curricula. If you’re unsure, ask your school’s administration for all the opt in/out forms available as well as the procedures you must follow to successfully opt in/out. Here are some examples of forms you can request: 

• Surveys: Districts often canvas and survey the students throughout the year, but you must Opt-out if you do not want your child to participate. Ask your schools what surveys will be administered and when. You may also ask for a copy of the survey prior to participation, if you prefer to review prior to choosing. 

• Photo Publication: There are typically two options you can choose, based on your preference, publishing photos in the yearbook only and/or Social Media platforms. 

• MTSS/SEL Content: Another topic I’ve discussed, is if you can Opt out of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support)/SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) framework activities. This option has become difficult to navigate, as it is incorporated together with the academic interventions. There is also a lot of concern with the amount of data being collected through the surveys and MTSS, and the lack of transparency regarding who has access to that data. 

• Sexual Education/Explicit Content: Per A.R.S 15-102, sexual education lessons are opt-IN and always require parent permission.  It has become truly perplexing the amount of times the media has reported explicit content being placed in public schools.

The more involved we are as parents, the more we can advocate for our children's needs. Through personal experiences of opting out of surveys and photo publications, districts can overlook compliance. That’s why parents are strongly encouraged to talk directly with their children about opt-outs. In our case, after we opted out of a survey and informed our child, she alerted us immediately when it was given to her anyway. Students who are opted out are typically pulled from class, making that parent-child communication essential.

Becoming more active in the schools, one may gain invaluable leadership skills that can be used to benefit students in many areas. Talents and knowledge gained from participation may even lead a parent to run for their local school board or even return to school to become a teacher. There are many ways the community can give back. Being an active parent is truly rewarding, and our children deserve the best education and childhood experiences that will help shape their futures. 

By Tiffany Hawkins –  a dedicated school parent and former school board candidate. Tiffany continues to help families navigate school forms and opt-out decisions since simply opting out is often not enough to fully protect your rights — districts don’t always comply, even with formal requests. She remains committed to equipping parents with practical information so they can confidently protect their family’s privacy and rights.