PARENT+PARTNERSHIP+AND+ACCOUNTABILITY

=Every Child is our Child: A Marshall Plan for Shared Partnership and Accountabililty=

Revitalizing American education is imperative for our national security and we invite every American and organization to play a role. We need a depth of commitment equal to the Marshall Plan to make sure that every American child is afforded the heights of opportunity to reach the heights of performance.

Our schools are the mirror of our society and they reflect our collective will. This can be seen in schools located at the fringes of our society--whether in inner cities or rural communities and in highly regarded schools where there have been incidents of shootings, bullying, violence, and drug use. Schools have an important role to play in addressing these issues but all of society must mobilize to nurture our precious youth. Every child is our child!

Community Partnership and Accountability
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963), stated, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The crisis in many schools today cannot be solved through a "business as usual" approach. Instead, the crisis calls for an approach like the Manhattan Project or the Marshall Plan. This is a fight for our nation's survival.

Funding is important but more significant is the heart. Every strata of American society must be activated if we are to reach the Heights of Opportunity and Performance in Education. Therefore, we call for volunteerism and community partnerships to help schools in crisis. Certainly, if organizations can adopt stretches of highways and roads they can adopt schools that need human and financial resources to reach all children, especially those who must be pulled into the mainstream of American life.
 * Businesses, corporations, unions, hospitals, and not-for-profits should be granted incentives to adopt schools or classes in need;
 * Churches and community organizations should build partnerships with local schools in need to help forge strategies for success;
 * Wealthy and high performing schools and districts should cross district boundaries and form partnerships with schools and districts in need;
 * Colleges and private and parochial schools should also be asked to sponsor schools in need.

Stronger Parent Partnership
Schools must form stronger partnerships with parents to achieve the success of America's children. Parenting is a very demanding job and many raise children alone without the help of a partner. HOPE seeks to support and strengthen the role parents can play in the education of their children, especially in schools and districts that have not experienced abundant success in education.

Parent Support for Preschool Children
Important research is emerging that brain development needs to be nurtured in the earliest of years, especially birth-3 years. Parenting skill classes are also important so children come to school fully prepared to learn. HOPE will invest in supporting parents with children of these critical years:
 * Funding for programs that teach prenatal care, Lamaze or child-birthing classes, care of infants, and Child Abuse/Violence Prevention;
 * Funding for the professional development of day care providers of children 0-3 years old so they can employ highly effective intense language-enriched care to assure preparedness for school success.

Parent Support for School-age Children
In communities characterized by poor academic achievement effective parenting can be enhanced by building networks of parents and bridging them to schools that must become full-service providers. HOPE will support:
 * School partnerships with medical, dental, and social services all located in school buildings;
 * Continuing education programs that are linked to accredited colleges. Programs will lead parents to college degrees while enhancing parenting skills. Parent coursework will include:
 * Strategies to Use When Working With Your Child to Ensure School Success
 * Brain Education and Literacy Acquisition
 * Quality of Life Issues- Healthy Living, Nutrition, Financial Literacy, Housing, Community, Exposure to Cultural and Enrichment Experiences
 * Financial Literacy- Money Management Training to Improve Quality of Life
 * Learning English/Spanish
 * Use of Technology to Support Children's Education
 * Implications of Excessive Exposure to Violence
 * Importance of Involvement in Children's Lives (e.g., school, decision-making, social circles, tough choices, sex, sexuality, drugs, etc.)
 * Being Aware of Signs/Symptoms of Disabilities and Seeking Intervention Services;
 * Understanding Standards and Testing (see Smart and Open Testing section);
 * Designing Clear Pathways for the College Education of Children;
 * In order to bridge better support of schools within the community, HOPE advocates funding to hire representative parents as school employees.