In the past few years, the parent group in the Buffalo Public Schools have come a long way in establishing their credibility and making sure they have a seat at the table.
One tangible sign of that is the fact that at each school, a parent coordinator gets a modest stipend from the district to put in regular hours at the school to try to maximize parent involvement.
Still, there's no question the District Parent Coordinating Council has a long way to go in getting parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other adults who care for kids to become actively involved. At a recent parent information session at Bennett High School, the turnout was dismal. There are more than 34,000 kids in the district. Only about 40 parents showed up to the meeting.
Samuel Radford III, vice president and designated spokesman for the DPCC, said the group is working toward 100 percent parent involvement in the district in the next few years.
"If we all come together as a community, we can ensure the academic success of every child," he said.
There are encouraging signs. One of them: Two hundred people showed up for the last DPCC meeting, by Radford's estimate.
The group meets at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month (one exception: the November meeting will be on the second Tuesday, Nov. 9) at the Makowski Early Childhood Center, 1095 Jefferson Ave.
