Parent-Guardian Roundtable

Hearty congratulations due to all who pulled together the WPS Parent-Guardian Roundtable this morning!
About 200 people packed the room and eagerly conversed about hopes and dreams for our children's education, currently challenges, and possible solutions. A few notes from me:

1. I'm always impressed how, if you pull together a group of parents of Worcester Public School students, you'll get tales of great education happening: the teacher who stays after, the principal pulling together a day that gets everyone excited about math, the IEP that gets a kid the help he needed...there's good stuff happening out there! The conversations I heard included a lot about the solid education their kids are getting.
2. The conversation about challenges in my group began with a grandmother saying, "Well, it all comes back to money!"
3. Several of the challenges I heard expressed today had as much to do with blanket policy enforcement as anything. Making room for the individual might sum it up nicely.
4. The relative welcome parents feel in buildings varies widely.
5. The first parent to share with the entire group stood up, expressed some concern about the potential popularity about what he was going to say, then firmly said, "Until we parents say that we will pay more taxes for education, we won't have the resources we need. I am willing to pay more taxes." He was warmly applauded.

Well done, Dawn, Eric, Deb, and all!