BILL REQ. #:  H-0496.1 

Read first time 01/24/2007.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing first teacher parent mentor programs; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that families have a major influence on their children's achievement in school. Families of all income and education levels, and from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, should be supported and encouraged to be involved in school and in their children's learning at home. Therefore the legislature intends to establish first teacher parent mentor programs to provide connections between schools, community organizations, and parents; recruit and provide training for parent mentors; and expand opportunities for involvement by parents in their children's schools, particularly for parents from diverse communities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate pilot grants on a competitive basis to school district and community partnerships for the purpose of establishing first teacher parent mentor programs.
     (2) School districts that apply for a pilot grant under this section must create partnerships with community organizations, state and local government social service offices, and parent advisory councils to establish the programs. In awarding the pilot grants, the superintendent shall give priority to school districts with high enrollment of students from diverse communities and school districts where additional strategies such as expanded parent involvement are needed to improve student achievement and reduce the achievement gap.
     (3) The pilot grants may be used for the purposes of:
     (a) Recruiting parents from diverse communities and training them as mentors of other parents and advocates on behalf of their children's education;
     (b) Providing a stipend for parent mentors to conduct outreach with other parents; serving as liaisons between parents, schools, and community organizations; and acting as resources in helping parents access educational, social, and governmental services from partners in the program;
     (c) Expanding parent involvement opportunities and multicultural activities in schools, particularly for parents from diverse communities;
     (d) Conducting informational sessions for parents from diverse communities to help them in their role as their children's first teacher; and
     (e) Conducting training for school staff on how to create "family-friendly" school environments, particularly for families from diverse communities.