1200 Hispanic Parents Turn Out To Support Yakima Education

By Editor Ken Harvey

Up to 1,200 Hispanic parents and 1,000 children have been attending parent forums put on by the Yakima School District this year.

"We went from having about 125 last year to having more than 1,000 this year," says Tricia Valdez-Zontek, the district's executive director for state & federal programs.

District staff and volunteers have made phone calls, mailed out letters and sent fliers home with students to invite parents to the events, known formally as the "Migrant/ELL Parent Advisory Council & Spanish Community Forum."

"We hit them three different ways, and it seems to be working," says Ms. Valdez-Zontek.

The forum is much more than just a dry presentation by educators. The event begins with a dinner in the cafeteria, followed by Mariachi music and manned information tables in the gymnasium. Children are invited to play in an adjoining gymnasium during the parents' meeting.

Information tables are set up by such organizations as Yakima Police Department, Department of Ecology, YWCA, YMCA, Washington Reading Corp, Yakima Interfaith Coalition, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Washington State University and Central Washington University.

In addition, door prizes donated by local businesses are given out to participants and, "as an extra little perk," the district has given away about 1,000 text and library books they were otherwise going to discard.

"Several factors are contributing to the success," says Superintendent Benjamin Soria. "For example, the addition of a director for parent and community involvement is playing a major role. Nicolas Zavala has brought in new ideas and is extremely persistent. Additionally he has involved MECHA high school students in calling to invite and remind parents of the Spanish Forums."

The superintendent, numerous school officials, school board members, leaders of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), and other community leaders participate in the forums to show their support.

"I believe parents are beginning to trust us," says Mr. Soria.

"We were praying you would come," he told parents at the December forum. "We need your help."

"Increasing parental and community involvement is one of three major goals in the district's Roadmap (Strategic Plan)," explains Ms. Valdez-Zontek. "This clearly shows the importance and priority we place on parental involvement."

She agrees that creating a new department that focuses specifically on parental/community involvement and hiring Dr. Zavala as director was a major key to the district's new success.

PAC President Efrén Licea says combining the PAC meetings and the Spanish Community Forums into one event was also important.

"This was done so we, as district staff, could work together -- combine resources and efforts -- to reach a larger audience," says Ms. Valdez-Zontek, the goal being "to increase awareness, knowledge and combined efforts (school and home) to support student achievement."

Besides the dramatic increase in turnout to the parent meetings, district officials have no specific data yet to show increased parental involvement at individual schools or improved test scores by students as a result of the meetings. However, several published studies have shown a clear correlation between parental involvement in education and student academic achievement. So district officials feel the meetings will make a major difference.

"We are asking and encouraging parents in attendance at each meeting to get involved in their child's school," Ms. Valdez-Zontek says. "They are presented with the challenge of going into the school at least two times between each parent meeting. We also make sure they know that each school has a person who can translate for them if needed, so language should not be a barrier."

Dr. Richard Gómez, the state's Migrant Education Program director, cited parental involvement research when addressing parents in December.

"I know the key is you to be involved," he said. "That will help your children achieve success."

Dr. Zavala reinforced that point as he went through a slide show.

"You are sending a message to your children that you care, that it matters to you, and that you want them to succeed in school," he told parents.

He urged parents to communicate better with their children and with educators, to volunteer to help at school, to encourage learning in the home, to be involved in the community, and to participate in school district decision-making processes.

Dr. Zavala displayed state WASL results that show Hispanic students are progressing but still lag behind most other ethnic groups.

"We are advancing a lot, but we have a long ways to go," he said.

Parents need to help bring those results up, Dr. Zavala added.

For parents of younger children, including preschoolers, he urged them to read with their children 20 minutes every day and to make particular effort to help their children build their vocabulary.

"A great number of our students enter kindergarten behind in their development by at least two years," he said, adding, "Children should enter kindergarten with a vocabulary of 6,000 words. Many of our students don't have even half that amount."

For parents of older students, he urged them to make sure their children attend class every day, to ask about what they learned at school, to ask their children about their homework, to make sure it gets done, and to talk to their children about potential careers.

The parent forums are filled with important information. The latest meeting on March 2 included discussion about graduation requirements, the state's WASL test, what students need to do to prepare for college, and the district's "Roadmap" for improvement.

At the December meeting Police Officers Jessie Rangel and Gary Garza urged parents to do whatever necessary to keep their children out of gangs. And they assured parents that gangs do thrive in Yakima.

"If you see a problem in your home, you need to do something about it," said Officer Rangel. "These are children we will lose if we don't do something."

He warned that 90% of all gang members are arrested by age 18, and 60% are dead or in prison by age 20.

"The gangs say kids need to belong to a gang for protection. But that's a lie," Officer Rangel said. "Here in Yakima there have been many deaths because youths wanted to belong to gangs."

Officer Garza said, "Gang members don't think of the future. They laugh now; they pay later."

The gangs also cause many thousands of dollars in damage around the community, the officers said. And if the vandals are caught and can't pay for it themselves, parents will have to pay.

If youths are convicted of an alcohol, drug or firearms offense, they will lose their driver's license. If they are undocumented, they and their families may be deported. And gang members not in prison or deported will lose scholarship opportunities and will likely never go to college. That by itself will cost them $200,000 or more in lower wages during their lives, Officer Garza said.

Such instruction can have a major impact on families and students in the Yakima School District, and Supt. Soria can feel it happening.

"There is great energy here," he said at a recent forum. "It takes a lot of people, and we have a great team."