A Note from the Superintendent

January 2008

Dear Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Families,

It is a pleasure to send this New Year greeting out to all of you. I am very pleased to be a new partner with you in the education of your student. I will be sending out monthly notes to keep in touch and let you know what is going on in the district. I hope each of you will keep in touch with your child’s school by visiting and being active partners in their education.

Ginny Markell, President of the National PTA, offers some tips for parents to help their children.

Children whose parents are active partners in their education:

* Get better grades,

* Have better attendance records,

* Have fewer problems with drugs and alcohol, and

* Have a more positive attitude toward learning.

How can parents participate in their children’s education? What can they do?

1. Be a friend of the school. Get to know the school culture. Who are the leaders? Who are the staff members that truly make a difference in the students’ lives? These people may be teachers, para-professionals, aids, secretaries, clerks, liaison officers, custodians, bus drivers, and so forth.

2. Be aware of the school’s needs. Very often there are resource limitations that impact the ability of the school to do its job adequately. In some cases the limitations are budgetary. As a parent you may be able to help find community sources to finance necessary projects. You may be adept at applying for grants or have some time you can donate to this task. You may know of unique sources that the school can use to obtain needed materials.

3. Keep in contact with the school. Telephone, visit, and e-mail the school often. Use the school website to see what is happening. There will be opportunities for you to be involved.

4. Get to know the standards. The current buzzword in education is “standards.” Most states have adopted a set of benchmarks to assess students, teachers, and schools. Become familiar with them. Make sure you understand them, and if they are imprecise, ask the school to interpret them for you. Share them with your fellow parents.

5. Sort out the myth from the reality of educational statistics and media expression. While there are certainly problems in education, there are many good things happening, too. We should keep the good things, improve the areas where problems exist, and maintain a clear view of the differences.

6. Join the PTA or other groups that are interested in improving the effectiveness of our children’s education. The greater the membership, the greater the positive effect.

Happy Trails,

Kathleen McNamara, Ed.D.

Superintendent