PURE Reform - Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform


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Homewood/Westinghouse Community Meeting December 9, 2008 PURE Reform attended the most recent Secondary Learning Options meeting in Homewood. This was a discussion and prioritization of community needs to be addressed in an education plan to be recommended to PPS Superintendent Mark Roosevelt by May 2009. Attendees represented parents, students, educators, community residents and leaders, church leaders, and members of non-profit organizations. Among those present were: Mark Conner, Derrick Lopez, and Dr. Linda Lane from PPS administration; Randall Taylor, school board member; Dr. Regina Holly, principal of Lincoln-Homewood campuses; Cary Harris of A+ Schools. Others present were: the Homewood Roundtable, State Representative Joseph Preston office, Operation Better Block, concerned parents and students from Westinghouse and a community leadership program. Running the meeting was Marjorie Howard of Community Technical Assistance Center who divided the approximately 50 attendees into 6 small groups designed for greater participation. Of the many thoughtful and insightful needs identified, the following were among those prioritized as most important to the group: 1. Ensuring a safer environment in the community and school; 2. Providing “wrap-around” services to the students and families such as social workers and community interventions in the schools; 3. Having programs in the schools that attract kids and families such as vocational and career training; 4. Getting highly qualified teachers who have a passion for teaching and working with urban students; 5. Promoting community involvement in the schools with mentoring, tutoring, recreational programs, etc.; 6. Engaging the parents and instilling more pride in academic achievement; 7. Involving Westinghouse alumni to integrate their experiences and expertise with the present student body. The next meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2009, to discuss solutions collaboratively and to form the committee that will draft the Homewood Education Plan which will take into consideration all schools in the community: Westinghouse, Faison, and Lincoln. In the third meeting on April 16th, the committee will present the plan to the community for feedback and discussion prior to presenting it as a recommendation to the superintendent at the meeting on May 14, 2009.

Homewood/Westinghouse Community Meeting
December 9, 2008

PURE Reform attended the most recent Secondary Learning Options meeting in Homewood. This was a discussion and prioritization of community needs to be addressed in an education plan to be recommended to PPS Superintendent Mark Roosevelt by May 2009.

Attendees represented parents, students, educators, community residents and leaders, church leaders, and members of non-profit organizations. Among those present were: Mark Conner, Derrick Lopez, and Dr. Linda Lane from PPS administration; Randall Taylor, school board member; Dr. Regina Holly, principal of Lincoln-Homewood campuses; Cary Harris of A+ Schools. Others present were: the Homewood Roundtable, State Representative Joseph Preston office, Operation Better Block, concerned parents and students from Westinghouse and a community leadership program.

Running the meeting was Marjorie Howard of Community Technical Assistance Center who divided the approximately 50 attendees into 6 small groups designed for greater participation. Of the many thoughtful and insightful needs identified, the following were among those prioritized as most important to the group:

2. Providing “wrap-around” services to the students and families such as social workers and community interventions in the schools;

3. Having programs in the schools that attract kids and families such as vocational and career training;

4. Getting highly qualified teachers who have a passion for teaching and working with urban students;

5. Promoting community involvement in the schools with mentoring, tutoring, recreational programs, etc.;

7. Involving Westinghouse alumni to integrate their experiences and expertise with the present student body.

The next meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2009, to discuss solutions collaboratively and to form the committee that will draft the Homewood Education Plan which will take into consideration all schools in the community: Westinghouse, Faison, and Lincoln. In the third meeting on April 16th, the committee will present the plan to the community for feedback and discussion prior to presenting it as a recommendation to the superintendent at the meeting on May 14, 2009.