Giving Compass' Take:

• Thomas Sheppard at EdSurge writes on his own experiences as both a father and a teacher and how parents, teachers, and administrators need to invest in building trusting and loving relationships with their students and children.  

• What are some of the best methods for parents to engage and educate their children? 

• Learn about parents can help get their children involved in science and STEM. 

When I became a father, I promised to do everything I could to ensure my kids’ educational experience was better than mine. I’m a public-school kid. I went to P.S. 152 and I.S. 131 in the South Bronx and tested into Brooklyn Tech for high school. In the early ‘80s, Brooklyn Tech was one of the best schools in the country, but I was one of only maybe 30 Black kids on a campus of almost 10,000. Still today, New York’s education system is one of the most segregated in the U.S.

I believe education equals options. The more options you have, the less confined you are by what society says you should be. That’s why I’ve been a parent advocate for the past six years at P.S. 41. I serve on the District 11 Community Education Council in the Bronx, sit on the board of directors of the preschool my children attended and advocate for education issues with our community elected officials.

Read the full article about how parents make a big difference in school quality by Thomas Sheppard at EdSurge.