Important note: The following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 4, 2015:
DISTRICT 4 (Supervisor Warren Slocum)
FY 2015-17 Measure A Request Ravenswood City School District Parent Academy $60,000 one-time
The Ravenswood City School District’s Measure A Collaborative (Collaborative) will strengthen family engagement, supporting parents and caregivers to be more involved and effective in the lives of their children. By providing training and resources that are rooted in the cultural strengths of East Palo Alto’s rich diversity, Ravenswood City School District (RCSD) and its Collaborative will provide meaningful community engagement for youth and families, and improve youth opportunities for success within East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park.
The Collaborative will hire and train three community members to engage and work directly with parents as Promotoras (community outreach workers). Each of the three community members will bring skill sets and cultural understanding of the African American, Pacific Islander, and Latino communities. The promotoras will provide direct support to parents, as well as help connect them to community resources. In addition, the promotoras will help recruit parents to participate in the six-week Parent Academy.
The Parent Academy will serve 60 parents comprised of 3 groups of 20, with each group learning parenting and personal development skills within the cultural context of their respective communities. The Parent Academy will target parents of middle school youth. Workshops will be designed to meet parent needs. During the parent workshops, children of the families will also be engaged in a Youth Academy, engaging in activities that promote character development, community service, and academic success.
The $60,000 requested for district Measure A funds will be used for 60 families to go through the six week Parent Academy. HSA will work with Ravenswood City School District staff on building performance measures and targets into the agreements.
Important note: This is a copy of the official report -- item 5 on the Board's agenda.