Paddock PTA member returning to Mom Congress
Parenting magazine has announced that Jennifer DeFranco, a PTA board member at Stuart R. Paddock School, will be returning to the magazine's Mom Congress on Education and Learning conference to mentor the 2011 group of Mom Congress delegates. The conference will be held April 10-13 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
In 2010, Jennifer, who was serving as Paddock's PTA president, was chosen to win an all-expense-paid trip to the conference in recognition of her contributions and dedication to improving local schools. A total of 51 moms — one representing each state and the District of Columbia — were selected by Parenting as Mom Congress delegates, and 22 of them will return as Mom Congress mentors this year. As mentors, they will lead breakout sessions, facilitate conversations on education issues, and help the 2011 delegates maximize their experience during and after the conference.
Jennifer will also be serving on a panel for Bullying Prevention along with Deborah Temkin, the research and policy coordinator for bullying prevention initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education; Lisa Thomas, the associate director for educational issues at the American Federation of Teachers; and James Howe, author of The Misfits.
“I was beyond words when I was asked to come back,” said Jennifer of her excitement to return to Mom Congress as a mentor. “Being asked to serve on a panel for the delegation in attendance for 2011 is certainly going to be a highlight of this year's experience for me!”
At the inaugural conference that Jennifer attended last May, delegates worked with Parenting editors, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies faculty, and the Mom Congress advisory board to create a “Lesson Plan for Change,” a blueprint to empower parents to get more involved in their children's education. The “Lesson Plan for Change” appeared in the October 2010 issue of Parenting School Years and in the best-selling companion guide to the documentary Waiting for Superman.
--Story submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15