Join Us for a Virtual Town Hall on #SeekingChildJustice

Justice for children sounds simple enough, but it’s not. It requires families, communities, nonprofits and others to come together. Education is a key pillar of this platform, but providing a proper education means holding leaders accountable to invest in it.  In that spirit, brightbeam (the parent organization of Citizen Ed), in partnership with Forward Promise, the Wayfinder Foundation and the Opportunity Institute, are hosting a virtual town hall called “Seeking Child Justice and Reimagining Whole Child… Read More

How Can I Become a Parent Advocate?

By Cheryl Kirk It’s no secret, that as parents, we are our children’s biggest and best advocates. The phrase parent advocate can be a bit overwhelming for parents. We have so many things to do and places to be, it’s easy to think we can’t be PTA president or room mom, but there are so many ways to advocate for your child. My youngest son has struggled with his transition from elementary… Read More

Time to Burst the Bubble

Maybe we should just be honest and admit that we are kidding ourselves. We say that the election of Trump is surprising but we have seen the writing on the wall for many years now. Voter suppression, a Congress that has refused to work on behalf of the people, and a constant barrage of social injustices have left far too many Americans feeling alienated, grasping at straws and willing to throw anything… Read More

Back to school: 5+5=10 ideas for connecting with your child’s school

With school about to begin in a few days, I think it’s a great time to reach out to parents and discuss the relationship they have with their child’s school. I hope that this information will be helpful in fostering a productive school year. Below, I offer five general suggestions of my own, and also present five specific ideas from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) about how to connect with teachers… Read More

5 Questions Every Black Parent Needs to Ask Their Child’s Teacher and School

I spent nearly five years at a nonprofit focused on getting students in and through college. Many of the students who entered our program were not on track to graduate high school and required working closely with counselors, parents and principals to ensure they would graduate high school and hopefully continue on to college. Our goal was not only to ensure students graduate, but also to equip parents with the skill set to… Read More

NOLA Parent Perspectives town-hall meeting

The town-hall meeting moderated by Dr. Andre Perry at Dillard University Georges Auditorium is presented by the Louisiana Black Alliance for Educational Options, Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN), Stand for Children Louisiana, and the Urban League of Greater New Orleans. .