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Business as partners
in education
Business
have much to gain and little to lose encouraging employees to become
active partners in education. In a tight labor market, savvy employers
know that employees with school-aged children are looking for flexible
schedules and a workplace that values parents. Businesses can play a
key role in building strong family-school partnerships.
Employers
can:
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Offer
on-site training for employees on how to develop productive relationships
with their children's schools and foster their children's love of
learning. The Working Family Resource center (WFRC), sponsored by
Saint Paul Public Schools, offers seminars and shot courses right
at the workplace and a publication called Life Balance Digest for
working families. "We know that communication between school can
affect how well a child does in calss," says Marie Brooke, director
of WFRC. "The seminar topic se offer include Improving Communication
Between Home and School, Life and Adventures of the School-Aged
Child and Help for Homework Hassles, which is one of the most popular
courses offered."
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Help
employees balance work and family responsibilities. "The companies
we work with wan too help their employees balance their work and
home lives," Brooke says. "They know that helping their kids succeed
in school is one of their employee's top concerns. Employees end
help figuring out the most effective strategies for school success,
given their very limited schedules."
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Allow
flexible scheduling so that employees can attend school fuctins
and parent-teacher conferences. While the law provides for 16 hours
of unpaid leave period per year, some companies offer paid time
off, according to Brooke. These work-life champions are also the
ones that value employees who call home at the end of the day to
check in with their children who are home alone after shool, she
says.
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Establish
a workplace lending library so employees can take home books and
educational materials to share with their families. Ask employees
to donate books their children have outgrown or educational materials
that helped them become a partner in their children's education.
Contact the local library to obtain children's book lists and parent
education materials.
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Help
build broad community coalitions to strengthen all children's learning.
Businesses are significant stakeholers in the community and have
the potential to make a real difference in the education of children.
From adopting a nearby school to allowing employee volunteers to
use paid time to serve as a learning partner to a child, business
can provide leadership and resources to promote strong partnerships.
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