U-46 seeks parent volunteers for slew of committees

When Maura Contreras looked around PTO meetings at Horizon Elementary School in Hanover Park, the mother of three students in Elgin Area School District U-46 didn’t see any other Hispanic faces.

To encourage other parents to participate, Contreras signed up for the 2010-2011 Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute that provided training for 20 parents in areas like public speaking and marketing.

The institute is one of almost two dozen advisory councils or committees for which the district seeks participants in the new school year.

“I felt the need in the community to get involved,” Contreras said. “And with kids’ education, parents can make all of the difference. Statistics show ... that when parents are directly involved with a child’s school, the child does better.”

Karen Fox, assistant to the superintendent for special projects, said parents often find answers to questions or concerns through committees.

“Many times, the parents who become most involved were initially skeptics if not critics,” Fox said. “The parents that had issues or were frustrated because they didn’t know how to communicate their needs and issues are the ones who find a way to get involved and become the biggest supporters of education.”

The district’s largest and most powerful committee is the Citizens’ Advisory Council, which has direct access to the board of education. The council develops a report each year that the board votes on.

“It is really the best way for parents to be heard,” said Lynn Ward, the council’s secretary. “The CAC is the voice of the citizens. It is the best way to get involved, the best way to reach the board and the best way we can say, ‘This is how we feel.’”

There are also seven subcommittees where much of the work takes place that council members are encouraged to join: executive, curriculum, enrollments and facilities, family and community engagement, finance, legislative and special education.

There are also nine other advisory councils for topics like business, clergy, seniors citizens, bilingual parents and students.

This year, the district also is launching an African-American Parent Leader Institute.

“Although the African-American population only makes up about 7 percent, that’s still 3,000 students that we are reaching out to,” Fox said. “It also gives parents a taste of service and volunteerism that they may not have had before.”

For more information on each committee or how to join, go to u-46.org.