One of the things I encourage parents to do is to walk the hallways of their children’s schools. Now I know not all parents can do that regularly, but even a working parent, if possible, should take an extra half hour from work one day a term, or at least a year, to visit the school. With the crisis that education funding is under, parents have to take a bigger part in the decisions that are being made.
In our school district there are seven members of the board of trustees. These people are responsible for the budget of the school district, making decisions that affect our children. We assume somehow that they are special and know what they are doing, but sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they rely on other people to inform them of what is needed. And if the only people informing them are employees of the school board, then they aren’t always hearing the whole story.
So, walk the hallways. See what is happening in classrooms, in schools, in offices. Don’t be intimidated (I’ve never let a teacher tell me I can’t walk into a classroom my child is in). Not only is this our children’s future, but it is our tax dollars that pay for it all. We are invested in this, in so many ways, and we should know what goes on. If you see something that concerns you, speak up. Attend a PAC meeting, a district PAC meeting, a School Board meeting. Send an email or a letter to a school trustee or the district superintendent. Be heard.
Rocks, Waves, Beach 
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