Family Engagement

A New Manager of the Office of Parent Education and Involvement

Dear Families and Staff of San Jose Unified School District:

It is a pleasure to introduce myself as the new manager of the Office of Parent Education and Involvement. I began my new role as manager the week of July 5, 2011. I look forward to working closely with our families and school communities as we “...ensure that students that graduate from our institutions have the skills necessary to perform at high levels in a 21st century society.” (Dr. Vincent Matthews, SJUSD Superintendent)

My background as a former principal and district administrator has provided me with the experience and understanding of parent and school site needs. My goal is to implement the components of the Voluntary Integration Plan (VIP) that are specific to increasing parental involvement and increasing parental input into the decision-making processes at our schools.

I invite you to stand side by side with me in 2011-2012 as we continue to work to develop parent leadership skills and promote educational equity. We will work together to close the achievement and opportunity gap and ensure that all students receive a quality education and are successful.

The office of Parent Education and Involvement is located on the first floor in room 130, right next to the Board Room. Please continue to visit this website for updated information or you may contact the office at (408) 535-6404. I look forward to meeting you and developing a positive and effective working relationship in the upcoming school year.

Respectfully,

Lupe Mendoza-Ramirez

Parent Involvement

Parent Participation Makes a Difference

It is a well-known fact that parental involvement is key to student success. Researcher Anne T. Henderson summarized it best in her findings on nearly 50 studies related to parental involvement and concluded: School programs which have strong parent involvement produce students who perform better than otherwise identical programs that do not involve parents as thoroughly. Children whose parents help them at home and stay in touch with the school score higher than children of similar aptitude and family background. Also, schools where children are failing improve dramatically when parents are called in to assist.

In interviews with high achievers (world-class swimmers, scholars, and research mathematicians, etc.) the conclusions were all similar on the importance of the home environment on the development of talent. Except in a few rare cases all the students excelled because parents placed high value on one of their talent areas music, art, sport or intellectual activities. Parent support made the difference in their achievement.

What is Available Regarding Parent Education?

Throughout the year, the Office of Parent Education and Involvement, managed by Lupe Mendoza-Ramirez, offers training, workshops, classes, conferences, college and career nights and special events, including open forums for parents in the District who have questions or request help with their children’s education.  The Office also serves to assist and support schools with ideas, strategies and recruitment that will encourage and motivate parents to take an active role in the academic success of their student(s).

We encourage every parent to visit schools and classrooms and take advantage of every opportunity to volunteer. When visiting a school site, please remember to sign in at the office.

For further information contact Lupe Mendoza-Ramirez at (408) 535-6404.