BILL ENCOURAGING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT ONE STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING LAW

Maine Senate enacts parental involvement plan for K through 12 education

AUGUSTA—Maine lawmakers enacted a measure directing schools to develop a plan encouraging parental involvement in a child’s education from kindergarden through high school.The parental involvement plan is built in collaboration with parents, teachers, and administrators.

“There is no single factor more important to a child’s education than their parents,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Justin Alfond, sponsor of the bill. “Giving parents real ways to get involved strengthens both their voice and commitment in their child’s education.”

The aim of LD 1770 is to improve student achievement by engaging parents and families throughout a child’s educational career by focusing on four areas of communication: provide parents with their child’s learning and behavior expectations, update parents on their child’s educational work, offer ways for parents to support their child both in and out of school and finally, provide consistent response to parental concerns.

Studies show that parents are very involved in their child’s education when the child begins school but as the child ages, parents tend to become less involved in the educational experience.

“This is one step toward changing the culture of parental involvement to one where teachers, parents, and students are all aligned, communicating, and working together toward a common goal of student success,” said Sen. Alfond of Portland.

The bill is headed to the governor’s desk for his signature to become law.