A recent poll shows that Upstate residents see lack of parental engagement as one of the biggest problems facing local school districts.
A new Rochester program this summer will try to remedy that.
The Horizons at Warner summer enrichment program is a summer school for kindergarten through eighth grade students in the city of Rochester School District.
This year, executive director Lynn Gatto says they will include training for parents who want to take a more active role in their children’s education. "They'll learn specialized listening and questioning techniques and skills for instruction. Things like how to ask the right questions when you're reading aloud to your child. Support techniques for organization and time management for task completion, because when kids come home and don't want to do homework, parents need strategies to help them get focused."
Gatto says she believes every parent wants a good education for their child. But many parents in poor, urban districts feel unwelcome in their child's school because of differences in language, education and race.