AAPAC aims to increase awareness, involvement

When Paul Dodson first attended a Community Unit District 300 board meeting, the acronyms and jargon left his head spinning.

Dodson said he wanted to know more about his child’s education, but didn’t know where to start. The board meeting, he said, left him more confused.

That experience was the impetus for the African American Parent Advisory Committee (AAPAC), a group seeking to increase parent awareness and involvement with the district. About 5 percent of the district’s student population is black. The committee is not limited to black parents.

“It’s easy to see why people get overwhelmed and choose not to participate,” said Dodson, president of AAPAC. “We don’t want any parent to feel intimidated at a board meeting. Parents need to be more active in the process and board decisions to make the district better.”

The committee, which started in May, has attracted more than 40 parents to its meetings. Chester Byrd, vice president of AAPAC, said the committee’s role is similar to the district’s Bilingual Parent Action Committee or Advance 300.

“Parents need to know what’s going on in their child’s education and future,” Byrd said. “When parents are involved, children are more motivated and have a better attitude.”

In addition, the group plans to host an annual multicultural day, support scholarships and invite guest speakers to the district during Black History Month.

Down the road, the committee would like to put forth a school board candidate. There are no minority representatives on the board.

“In the next couple of years we would like to see some diversity on the board,” Dodson said. “When 13 to 15 percent of the district is a minority, that’s definitely a goal of ours.”

Some of the bigger issues the group plans to tackle are hiring and retaining black teachers, and implementing more African American Studies in the curriculum.

“Students want to see someone that they can look up to and aspire to be,” Byrd said. “There’s no shortage in the pool of teachers, but there’s a reason African American teachers are hired and then leave in a short period of time. We need to find out why.”

For information about the group, go to aapac.vpweb.com or search for AAPAC on Facebook.

AAPAC will next meet from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Jan. 26 in the district’s central office, 300 Cleveland Ave., Carpentersville.