Resource Center

Show Notes

• 01:40 Bradley introduces show guest Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center, who will be discussing the topic of engaging parents in education.

• 03:29 Aurelio provides an overview of parent information and resource centers, or PIRCs, including IDRA's Texas PIRC.

• 05:00 Aurelio talks about IDRA's inclusion in the U.S. Department of Education's new publication, Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons From Five Parental Information And Resource Centers. IDRA's Texas PIRC was one of only five referenced in the publication.

• 05:48 Aurelio defines the key roles of PIRCs:
  1. Provide leadership, technical assistance, and support in the implementation of successful and effective parent involvement, practices, programs and activities, as part of the ultimate goal of improving student academic achievement.
  2. Strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel in meeting the educational needs of the children.
  3. Strengthen relationships between parents and their children's school.
  4. Provide a comprehensive approach to improve student learning, through coordination, collaboration, and integration of federal, state and local services and programs.

• 08:03 Bradley asks Aurelio to describe some of IDRA's unique work with parents that led to its inclusion in the U.S. Department of Education's publication.

• 08:23 Aurelio first references IDRA's Parent Leadership Model (discussed in further detail in Episode 3 of IDRA Classnotes).

• 11:25 Aurelio then describes IDRA's role as a convener of different stakeholders in the community and bringing people together. He and Bradley summarize the three main convenings IDRA has organized in Texas during the last several years: the first, a discussion on InterAction and the pipeline of education; the second, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education and talks on how public schools have been extending the Brown decision to minority groups beyond African Americans, such as Latinos; and the third, Graduation Guaranteed, a discussion among students, parents, and school board members on how schools can increase their holding power (refer also to Episode 5 of IDRA Classnotes).

• 17:19 Aurelio talks about how teachers and administrators can make the best use of the Engaging Parents in Education publication.

• 18:55 Aurelio describes one of IDRA's biggest challenges in its continuing work to strengthen parent engagement: the direct communication and outreach to parents and families.

• 19:55 Bradley encourages listeners to access the Engaging Parents in Education publication at the U.S. Department of Education web site.