Katie Allen, Neason Hill parent, shares her "take aways" at the annual Crawford Central Title I 2018 Parent Conference.

1. STATE PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SPAC)
CONFERENCE 2018
KATIE ALLEN

2. TWO FULL DAYS OF LEARNING, FUN AND GOOD FOOD
 Day 1
 Breakfast
 Keynote speaker Ignacio Lopez “Keeping it Real and Relevant: Trust in Schools”
 Break out session 1- Creating a Vison for a Good Life
 Break out session 2- Dual Enrollment: Get a Jump Start on College! Earn Credits while still in High School!
 Lunch- they feed you really well
 Break out session 3- Parenting on Purpose
 Break out session 4- Ideas for Engaging Educational Parent Workshops!
 Dinner

3. KEEPING IS REAL AND RELEVANT: TRUST IN SCHOOLS
IGNACIO LOPEZ- PRESIDENT, HAROLD WASHINGTON COLLEGE
 Part I Assumptions- assumptions can perpetuate an “all about me” world
 Part II Empathy- training & meditation
 Part III Empathy and Trust- increased talent in the work force
 Part IV Space- pressures from society end up in the classroom

4. CREATING A VISION FOR A GOOD LIFE
 What does a good life look like?
 What don’t I want in my life?
 What past experiences have pushed me towards a good life?
 What past experiences have pushed me towards what I don’t want?
 What future experiences will push me towards a good life?
 What future experiences do I need to avoid?

5. DUAL ENROLLMENT: GET A JUMP START ON COLLEGE! EARN
CREDITS WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL!
 Check with you child’s guidance counselor if you are interested in having your child participate in dual
enrollment.
 Butler County Community College and Edinboro University participate in Dual Enrollment.

6. PARENTING ON PURPOSE
 Core Values- What are my core values? Core values will drive my life.
 Minimalism- Get rid of the “stuff” that doesn’t help you with your core values. “The more stuff we have
the more we have to maintain”
 Words- Give affirmation and repeat what you hear about your child to them.
 Empower-

7. IDEAS FOR ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL PARENT WORKSHOPS!
 Hands on workshops with parents and children
 BINGO using vocabulary found on PSSA. Each child takes home a book.
 Family Write Nights
 Make-it, Take-it Workshops (game board)

8. SECOND DAY OF FOOD, FUN AND LEARNING
 Breakfast
 General Session- Future Ready PA Index
 Breakout session- How to Invite Everyone to the Table: Creating Dynamic Leadership Teams
 Lunch/wrap up session

9. GENERAL SESSION
The Future Ready PA Index:
 The dashboard approach to school reporting:
 Increases emphasis on student growth measures, which incentivizes a focus on all learners and is less sensitive to
demographic variables.
 Measures English language acquisition among ELL students, not simply performance on a test of grade level ELA standards.
 Incentivizes career awareness instruction beginning at the elementary level.
 Addresses the issue of unequal weighting of content areas in the current SPP.
 Provides indicators of student success after graduation.
 Increases the emphasis on student access to course offerings such as AP, IB, college credit, and CTE programs of study.
 Allows LEAs to include locally-selected reading assessments (Grade 3) and math assessments (Grade 7) as additional
snapshots of student progress.
 Incentivizes schools to offer career pathways that culminate with high value, industry recognized credentials
https://futurereadypa.org/home/comingsoon

10. HOW TO INVITE EVERYONE TO THE TABLE: CREATING DYNAMIC
LEADERSHIP TEAMS
 Coffee & Conversations right at the schools with the principal within the first few days of school.
 Smaller school PTA/PTO but a representative to meet with a district wide parent organization.

11. DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT YEAR?
 Enjoy a nice training experience at Seven Springs Resort
 Family is welcome
 Or enjoy some time alone
 Everything is paid for- you don’t need money but might want to bring some for their gift shops
 Bring back ideas to share with us!
 http://www.spac.k12.pa.us/conferences.htm