Update: Beyond the Bakesale

I attended a conference on parent and family involvement in Oconomowoc back in May which was sponsored by the WI Department of Public Instruction.  There is much work to be done in MMSD regarding parental involvement.  I recorded some audio, and this podcast includes comments by author Anne Henderson of Beyond the Bakesale.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to greet community members with new superintendent, Dan Nerad in places like Warner Park Community Center, the Mallards ballfield on a beautiful game day, and one of our farmer's markets.  Thanks to CircleReader who recently wrote, "I enjoyed chatting with you at the Eastside Farmers Market a couple weeks ago, and I looked up your podcast. You have some great stuff there--thanks for making it available!"

Thank you for the comment!  I checked out CircleReader's site as and suggest you do so as well.  Here is a link to his blog, Reading Circle Books and his post regarding Parents in Education and a mention of Henderson's research.

CircleReader posted recently that,

"And that, as it happens, is how I found out about Anne Henderson and the parental-involvement research of Beyond the Bakesale.  I pulled off the bike path into one of Madison’s popular farmer's markets, and found a table that wasn’t selling produce. Instead, there was information for parents from the Madison Metropolitan School District, and a chance to talk face-to-face, without a prescribed agenda and outside school walls, with the new Superintendent of Schools Dan Nerad and MMSD School Board member, Maya Cole. I met one of Maya’s sons, who was helping staff the table, and we chatted about parenthood and our respective visions for education..."

"Here’s hoping that we can share and participate long enough, and deeply enough, to truly change the system."

I can't agree more.

So, my question is, "How will you get involved with education this year as our community begins its first days of school?"