School Board Member, Washoe County, Estela Gutierrez

Enthusiastic for Parent Teacher Home Visits

Estela Gutierrez's thoughts on Parent Teacher Home Visits and commitment to work with ACTIONN appeared recently in the Reno Gazette-Journal.*

"In the past month, our community and state officials have debated student success strategies to improve K-12 education. Increasing opportunity for all children to learn at the highest level can be attainable, but not all strategies are applicable to every school. Data from best practices is imperative when making decisions about what resources trustees support and align with our strategic plan.

One strategy the Washoe County District will expand next year is the Parent Teacher Home Visit Program. This program will be expanded with existing revenue to 12 schools, six of which will include our one-star and two-star schools.

The goal of home visits is to help strengthen relationships between parents and teachers and increase student success. The district has programs at some school sites, including Kate Smith Elementary, a four-star school with a high number of minority students and students from low socio-economic backgrounds. I mention Kate Smith because of its similar demographics and student makeup to some of our one- and two-star schools.

Home visits are credited with helping to increase overall student achievement and attendance at Kate Smith, and many parents have expressed an increase of mutual respect and trust. As a product of home visits myself, I can relate to the trust factor and how critical that is in engaging my parents. My parents, like many at Kate Smith, came from a country that was different systematically. For example, the only time you met with a teacher in Mexico was when your child was in trouble. Essentially, trust among teachers, parents and students is the core of the success of the home visit program.

In order for home visits to work, the school must commit to this level of parent engagement and provide training to teachers. A home visit doesn't necessarily need to take place at a home - it can be anyplace where both the parent and teacher feel comfortable meeting. The goal is for teachers to better understand the needs and realities of their students.

No student success strategy happens alone. The district is looking at the Sacramento Parent Teacher Home Visit Program as a best practice model, which they built by partnering with community organizations in order to improve educational outcomes. Our district is committed to partnering with Acting in Community Together in Organizing Northern Nevada and other organizations in support of the Parent Teacher Home Visit Program."

*http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013304100028

For more information on the "nuts and bolts" of Parent Teacher Home Visits and their effect on student outcomes: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin241.shtml

Adrianna Rojas, Mother of 3rd Grade Student 

Shares Parent Teacher Home Visit Experience

"Before Mrs. Bowser came to my home to do a Parent Teacher Home Visit, I was nervous. I had gone to school in Mexico, where things are very different.  I didn’t know what to expect. Would she like me? Would she tell me what I was doing wrong? I felt like a child myself waiting for her visit. This was the first time anyone from the school had come to my home.

When she arrived, Jennifer ran up to her and gave her a big hug. She has a big open smile, and we connected right away.

Then Jennifer asked her if we could do yoga (Mrs. Bowser had been teaching yoga at the school.) So the 3 of us did some yoga together and that really broke the ice. We laughed together as we got silly. This showed me that she was a real person, just like me.

Then I served us hot chocolate and Jennfier, Mrs. Bowser and I got to know each other. She is very outgoing and easily put me at ease.  I shared some of my story and my struggle. About how I left Mexico to escape a violent relationship and how hard it can be to have enough money to live.

She didn’t judge me and let me know she cared.

Now, I now that she and the others at Veterans Elementary School really care about me and my daughter, Jennifer. I have visited the school, since then, many times. Jennifer is at the top of her class in reading and loves school. I know I made the right decision to come to the United States."

For more information on Parent Teacher Home Visits,
http://archive.cta.org/NR/rdonlyres/7760417A-1ECE-4B80-BB8B-ABDA4EE669AC/0/v6i5_makingthecase.pdf

Liz Motter, Raving Fan of Parent Teacher Home Visits

"I was a teacher for over 30 years. I loved seeing my students learn, grow and master new concepts. It was always challenging. But early in my teaching career I found a key to connecting with students and helping their motivation to learn grow. That key was Parent Teacher Home Visits.

I was new to the community when I began teaching in Nevada, initially in Douglas County and then Washoe. My teacher partner and I decided that we wanted to get to know the families of the children we were teaching, and thought we would try home visits.  The power of these visits was amazing to see.

Many families thought of teachers as an important authority source. During a home visit, I could show that I was a real person, just like them.

I remember one mom, who I’ll call Jean. She had her first child at age 15 and another at 17, and received no child support. She worked a fast food job to pay the bills.  

Three families were sharing a tiny apartment, with sleeping arrangements everywhere, and lots of talking and TV going all the time. I soon realized that having a quiet place to do homework was not realistic for these children. I saw how hard it was for mom to be able to have the time, energy or resources to help with homework. Survival came first. My empathy grew.

As I built my relationship with her over time, mom became more aware of the need for quiet so the children could get the homework done.  Mom was impressed that her children were motivated to do their homework and wanted to do well. So she gradually created time and space for them to do homework, began to come to the school for events, and volunteered for a field trip. Mom’s confidence in the school gave her son confidence to not be so afraid of making mistakes, and his performance grew.

From doing the home visits, the families began to treat me like a family friend and invited me back for birthday parties and other special events. The secret to my success as a teacher had a lot to do with these Parent Teacher Home Visits."



For a Washington Post article on Parent Teacher Home Visits, that describes their value:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/try-parent-visits-not-parent-takeovers-of-schools/2012/05/30/gJQAlDDz2U_story.html

Jennifer Tobias, 3rd grade student at Veterans Elementary School

Despite her youth and inexperience, Jennifer Tobias gathered her inner strength to speak at ACTIONN's April 2nd public assembly to push for implementation of Parent Teacher Home Visits.

"I am Jennifer Tobias, 9 years old, and a 3rd grade student at Veterans Elementary School in Reno. I am not used to public speaking, but I do love acting, so I hope that helps tonight!

When I found out that Mrs. Browser was coming to my house to talk to my mom, I was very scared. I though that I was in big trouble. My mom even thought that maybe there was a big problem with me. You see, sometimes I talk too much in class, so I actually get B's in conduct.

So, when Mrs. Browser came to our apartment, we were not having a good day. But, she greeted us with her big smile, and I found myself asking her if we could do yoga, like she had been teaching us at school. She agreed right away, but my mom needed encouragement to do the yoga. Soon, the three of us were upside down, in down dog, laughing and being silly.

My fears disappeared. We shared hot chocolate together, and she and my mom talked a lot. They got to know each other. My confidence grew, and I could see that my mom was starting to trust her.

My mom began to visit the school and I tried harder and harder, and did better and better in school. You see, we realized Mrs. Browser and everyone at Veterans Elementary School cared about me and my mom. They care about how I am doing. They were all excited when I moved up to the highest reading group and when I get straight A's on each report card - except for that B in conduct.

Maybe talking too much can be a good thing. Thank you for listening and caring!"

A report on the effectiveness of Parent Teacher Home Visits can be found at: http://www.neafoundation.org/content/assets/2012/03/pthv-full-issue-brief-5.pdf