Adrianne TodmanExecutive Director

Role and Impact of Parent Engagementin Education

Access and Equity

October 2010 GreatSchools extended an invitation to DCHA Parents …

PARENTS’ SCREENING AND

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

AMBITIOUS PROJECT…for public housing youth

DCHA 2011 Summer Workgroup Project to create a new Image and a new Expectation….To keep Children—and their Mothers, Fathers, Siblings—happy, safe, joyful, and seeing and believing THERE IS A FUTURE and their well-being is important to us.

Yoruba term meaning…

"Great minds discuss ideas.”  

--  Eleanor Roosevelt

“…so, when the GreatSchools counselor, Kelli, showed me all the information about

the school in their book [DC School Chooser], and took time to help me believe

that I had choices—and good opinions, too, I knew I had to make the right decision for

my child and complete the application.

…I knew it might be hard, but I knew I had help to do it.” --Parent: Tarlisa Whitfield

“At first I didn’t want to continue with the application because I was still concerned that my child would not be accepted or appreciated at a private school…but I really wanted my child to be “really seen” and acknowledged by teachers and the other children as an individual and important person.”

Capitol Hill Day School ProjectThe GreatSchools Community of Parents Workshop

Individualized Parent Counseling on Balancing Home, Child’s Schooling, Parent’s Schooling, Work Assistance Navigating Enrollment Application Process

Assistance Navigating the Financial Aid Application Process

Multiple Alternatives ~Define, Commit & Succeed

*# Parents Served: 54 (23%) Workshop/ 14(54%) One-on-One Counseling

8 (57%) Applicants

PUBLIC

HOUSING

STRATEG

Y

Helping Parent and Child to DEFINE, COMMIT, SUCCEED:

DCHA Ward Six Communities: 230 Families/Children 6-10*

PUBLIC

HOUSING

STRATEGY

DCHA & GreatSchools

From: Iris McLaurin-Southall Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:34 PMTo: 'Tamika Joyner'Cc: Kelli Anderson; nlevioff@GreatSchools.orgSubject: RE: UPDATE 1: Wed 4:00pm Status of CHDS Parents Being Recruited Warmest Greetings Tamika! What an exciting conversation I had with Ms. Susie Tate and Ms. Teresa Tate this morning. THEY CALLED me and were very pleased with time well-spent with you and Kelli!

Define, Commit, & Succeed Projects

HOUSING

CHOICE

VOUCHER

STRATEGY

District of Columbia Housing Authority

 does everything in our power to make a

deliberate effort to outreach to voucher

families effectively. 

HelpOne such decision is consideration of

how to make community housing

choices.  School choice is an important part of that decision. 

Distribute GreatSchools at the weekly HCVP briefings (at least 200 Voucher Holders weekly)

Random  GreatSchools robocall  to Voucher Families with school-aged children (3 times per year)

2-3 minute GreatSchools commercial on the TV located in the HCVP lobby (Voucher Holders waiting area)

GreatSchools info in the HCVP Newsletter in static location where the info can be listed in each publication (4 times per year); circulation portfolio: 11,000 families

Participant Advisory Committee to distribute GreatSchools information flyer monthly at their regularly scheduled meetings (every 3rd Tuesday of the month)

Put a GreatSchools Wiki on the dchousing.org website; Voucher Families frequently visit the website

Kiosk in the HCVP lobby (walk-in days are full and HCVP clients can retrieve up-to-date GreatSchools flyers often)

HOUSING

CHOICE

VOUCHER

STRATEGYThe GreatSchools Initia

tive Outreach Plan

CONTACT:  Cheryl RobinsonFamily Self-Sufficiency ManagerDC Housing Authority | Housing Choice Voucher Program1133 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 150B Washington, DC 20002Voice: 202-435-3306 | Fax: 202.435-3287 crobinso@dchousing.org | www.dchousing.org

Davis Guggenheim, Director Waiting for Superman, asked these questions…What about the kids who had no other choice?

What kind of education were they getting?

Where were the assurances that they would have the chance to live out their dreams, to fulfill their vast potential?

How heartsick and worried did their parents feel as they dropped their kids off this morning?

And how could this be right in 21st Century America? …the DCHA Response:

A PARENT AND CHILD-FOCUSED PARTNERSHIP with

GreatSchools

Adrianne TodmanExecutive Director

www.dchousing.org