Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones presents a certificate of recognition to keynote speaker John Robinson.

Dozens of parents came to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on May 16 for the District II Parent Leader Summit. The event connected more than 80 families from 46 different schools with HISD departments and community organizations to share information on parent advocacy, special education, school choice options, and more. The event also featured several organizations that provide parents with options on how to raise money for their children’s schools.

HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones partnered with the district’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department to host the event, which was sponsored by Kroger, Walmart, and Shipley’s. “I want to help empower our parents to seek out resources and share them with their school communities,” explained Skillern-Jones.

John Robinson, director of family support services for the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL) and a noted literacy activist, gave the keynote address on the importance of parents working with schools to improve academic achievement.

“When you become involved, you become the decision-maker for your child’s educational opportunities,” said Robinson.

Parents also attended a panel on “Navigating HISD” hosted by Assistant Superintendent for Family and Community Engagement Jorge Arredondo, and had the opportunity to attend workshops on building a parent organization, available district resources, and summer enrichment activities.

The District II Parent Leader Summit was the last in a series of events hosted by HISD’s Family Learning Academy this spring. For updates regarding 2015–2016 parent events, please visit the Family Learning Academy webpage.