Parents are NOT GETTING NOTIFIED or INFORMED of SAF / SAC / PTO meetings! ~ If there IS A SAF at all!!

School Advisory Forums aka SAF was put into place for a reason...to be the LINK between PARENTS & the School, District & State things going on.


Today I don't think our PARENTS are being informed of much lately....and all we hear today is all about PARENT INVOLVEMENT!


How the heck can parents get involved in their Child's school and education when Parents are not getting meeting notices with enough time to make PLANS TO ATTEND the meeting or event? 


I know that PRINTING anything and putting into our Children's Backpack is THE NOTICE OF LAST RESORT ~ paper & printing costs prevent paper flyers going home in backpacks anymore! There are lots of other ways to LET PARENTS KNOW in advance of upcoming meetings and dates to put on their calendars, so babysitters can be set-up and plans to attend are on the parents schedule to attend.


I am the SAF CHAIR at my daughters school and it has had its BUMPS-IN-THE-ROAD (literally!!) just setting up our FIRST REAL SAF~School Advisory Forum MEETING!! Informing Parents & the Community of upcoming SAF meetings should be a priority today more than ever! Parent Involvement is the big BUZZ word everyone is talking about today! 


I drove by my daughters school on Friday morning....there was nothing listed on the outdoor school sign about the upcoming SAF / SAC / PTO meeting that was coming up that upcoming Monday evening at 6PM. This could have been done over the weekend, so those driving by the school over the weekend could see the announcement on the school sign and BE AWARE of the upcoming SAF / SAC / PTO PARENT INVOLVEMENT MEETINGS happening at our school on Monday! How is putting the information on the outdoor sign at 11AM the morning of the 6PM evening meeting really giving parents notice and time to make plans to attend good? That is giving 7 HOURS NOTICE...if the parents even see or look at the sign within that small window of time... 7 HOURS...PLaahZeee....really.... 7 hours before the meeting that evening? 


No 1/4 page or 1/2 sheet note came home in my daughters backpack....I did see a note on the Cafeteria door on Friday during the Fall Festival...but what about those that didn't attend the Fall Festival....


While I was at my daughters Tutoring lesson, I received a PARENT-LINK call at 5:25PM ~ A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE SAF / SAC / PTO MEETING!! 


Really....a HALF-HOUR NOTICE parents get an auto-caller INFORMING PARENTS of a meeting in a half hour? WOW!! Thanks for the call!!


Our school has a Facebook page...I saw that close to 7:45PM on Sunday the day before the meetings a post was put on FB...what about the families that don't have internet? How are ALL families being notified of PARENT MEETINGS at your school?


I do believe something DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT HAS TO BE DONE and something different needs to take place...at least at my daughters school....since I have first had knowledge how SITE BASE MANAGEMENT is being handled and how parents are not being notified of upcoming SAF meetings. I know there are many schools that don't even have SAF meetings, because they don't have a SAF CHAIR. SAF is the Parent Voice and the LINK for communication between school and district things going on.


SITE BASED MANAGEMENT IS THE PROBLEM with many of our schools. Schools are SHUTTING OUT PARENTS ON PURPOSE!! Especially the Special Needs Parents & Families......we have no voice...and certainly the ESE Parent Voice means nothing to those that could actually HELP with better SITE BASED MANAGEMENT ISSUES & CONCERNS from Parents!


I can't keep silent any longer about the SITE BASED MANAGEMENT ISSUES that is a common mode of operation now in place at many of our Broward County Schools!

Our New Superintendent, Robert Runcie is doing LISTENING TOURS throughout the Land-of-Broward....hope he's listening! Hope he cares...really cares about those that have no voice....students with very unique learning challenges and their parents caring for them!

THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONSTANT IS CHANGE! 

Broward schools need to CHANGE how they Partner with Parents ~ how they INFORM PARENTS & make Parents Feel Welcomed back on our Children's Schools!

Parent Volunteers are just that....PARENTS...and that includes PARENTS of Special Needs! Let's stop the nonsense and start INCLUDING our Special Needs Parents as Partners in Education!

SAF - SAC - PTO/PTA  Have you been to one at your school?

POLICY 1.3 ~ EVERY School shall have a School Advisory Forum (SAF) that shall foster and promote communication between its stakeholders, the school, and the Area Advisory Council. The SAF shall bring forth recommendations, concerns and interests to and from the Area Advisory Council.

GET INVOLVED in your Child's School....Parents TAKE BACK OUR SCHOOLS!

Find out WHO IS YOUR SAF CHAIR ! Get Involved! Please take the little SAF~POLL that is on the right hand side of this blog.