Creating a Lasting Legacy
How one parent used skills learned in Parents Who Lead to restart school PTA
10/4/2024
Being in the fifth cohort of Parents Who Lead gave parent Robin Bird more confidence, friendships, and leadership skills. But it’s what she leaves behind that is really making a difference.
Bird used what she had learned during the 20-week program to restart the PTA at Lone Star Elementary, providing parents with more information about what is happening at the school and advocating on behalf of the elementary, one of the schools recommended for closure in the new Master Facilities Pla
Background:
When Bird had her son, she imagined one day joining the PTA at his school. However, Lone Star Elementary's PTA had become inactive. Determined to change that, Bird chose to make reviving the PTA her focus for her Parents Who Lead project.
“I heard parents say that communication has not been good; so, I hope to improve that,” she said. “With every population I work with, I always want people to feel seen and heard and that their input matters. This will help parents/guardians feel more invested in the school and what is going on. It will also result in parents being more involved in their child’s education.”
What She Did
The work proved more complex than she’d originally imagined, but her guiding principles remained the same:
- Make it inclusive: “I want to make sure that everyone is included, i.e. making sure that communications are sent out in the languages that our caregivers speak in addition to English and celebrating the different cultures of our families.”
- Make it fun: “School is so much about testing, preparing for testing, talking about testing, let’s have some fun as well. Even better if the teachers, parents, and children can experience that fun all together.”
- Create a legacy: “It is a great little school but is currently more of a wallflower. I hope it becomes a place that parents start applying to for their kids again. I would hate to see this school close. Since my son is in 5th grade, I will only be in this PTA for this year, so I want to develop a solid team to keep the PTA going after I leave.”
Conclusion
Bird said she is always looking for ways to learn more and develop her leadership skills, which is what led her to apply for Parents Who Lead. She said going in to the experience she knew little about the education system, politics or how to advocate on behalf of children. Not only does she now have those skills, but she was also able to create at legacy at her son’s school.
“Don’t ever feel like you can’t make a difference,” she said. “I had no idea the positive feedback, encouragement, and ‘thank yous’ I would get when I started this. Attend the school board meetings, and advocate for everyone who can’t advocate for themselves. Don’t wait for someone else to be the change but know that you will have to work hard. Go for it and apply for Parents Who Lead! You won’t be sorry!”