Journal Articles

Below are three articles that can aid us in our work with the Glendale CLC:

Hornby, G, & Lafaele, R. (2011). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory
          model. Educational Review, 63(1), 37-52.

LaRocque, M., Kleiman, I., & Darling, S. (2011). Parental involvement: The missing link in school
          achievement. Preventing School Failure, 55(3) 115-112.

Weiss, H.B., Mayer, E., Kreider, H., Vaughan, M., Dearing, E., Hencke, R., & Pinto, K. (2003).
          Making it work: Low-income others’ involvement in their children’s education. American
          Education Research Journal, 40(4), 879-901.


- Bethany Foster

On Friday, October 10, group members met with Dane Hess, who teaches Techniques for Tough Times and is in charge of Latinos in Action at Glendale Middle School. Group members present were Tara, Phoebe, and Bethany. Keri, coordinator at the Community Learning Center, recommended we speak to Dane to gain ideas for connecting with parents in the Glendale community. Dane found it helpful to attend events where he knew parents would be. Dane expressed that he wasn't looking to implement new programs right off the bat; at first, his goal was just to build relationships with families in the community. Dane also stressed the importance of identifying leaders and influential members of the community; working in collaboration with these individuals is a good way to connect with the community as a whole. He identified Rosie Peralta as a good contact person for the Buenos Dias Mamas, and Sara Farah as a connection to the Somali community. After our meeting with Dane, we attended a meeting with Mayor Becker, his staff, the Buenos Dias Mamas, Jenny Mayer-Glenn (Assistant Principal of Mountain View Elementary and administrator of the CLC) and other parents in the community. Mayor Becker was looking to dialogue about needs in the community, as well as discuss projects his staff is working on in the Glendale area. After the meeting, Phoebe and Tara talked with Rosie and Sara about providing a breakfast for the Mamas to discuss needs in the community. They provided their emails, and we will be in touch soon about setting up a time for breakfast. Also, following the meeting, Jenny Mayer-Glenn approached Tara to let her know she was very excited about our involvement. She also told Tara about a program the school is working on, called Padres Comprometidos, which helps parents feel more welcome and empowered to participate in their children's education. Investigating this program will help us understand what the community is already implementing. - Bethany Foster

We have made contact with our host organization, the Community Learning Center in Glendale. Phoebe and Fernanda will be meeting with our contact, Keri Taddie, Wednesday afternoon. We are hopeful that this meeting will allow us to develop a relationship and build rapport with the CLC, as well as give us insight into the challenges the CLC faces.