Shapiro and Howard: Put me in, coach - Austin classrooms need volunteers
Florence Shapiro, Texas Senate Donna Howard, Texas House of Representatives
Friday, September 25, 2009
Working to provide the highest quality education possible to the children of Texas is always one of the Legislature's priorities.
This year, we made a number of important improvements, including a well-deserved pay raise for teachers and increased accountability in our schools, which will make a difference for students throughout the state.
We know that if Texas is going to continue to be a leader in job creation and innovation, we must educate the next generation of businesspeople, scientists and engineers to carry our state into the future.
While crafting sound policy is an important part of improving our system, enriching the education of our children is something in which we all can participate. One way the community can contribute to strengthening our public schools is by becoming more active in the classroom. Austin Partners in Education does that.
Through a program called Classroom Coaches, a volunteer spends one hour per week working with a group of three or four students under the supervision of a teacher in a collaborative learning approach. The program is user-friendly; volunteers can identify a school, grade level and a day and time that works best with their schedules.
Students working with a classroom coach have shown measurable improvement at critical points in their academic trajectory — reading by third grade, mastering math skills in eighth grade and meeting college readiness indicators in high school.
In fact, students who have participated in the program perform 7 percent to 10 percent better on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills than students who don't.
Volunteers can come from all walks of life and share their experiences with the students, helping to provide real-life role models. The program focuses on Title I schools with students from under-resourced communities.
To reach 3,000 students this academic year, APIE needs to recruit 800 classroom coaches before the program kicks off on Oct. 1. As more volunteers sign up, APIE is able to serve additional schools and communities.
University of Texas football Coach Mack Brown is leading the recruitment effort to encourage Austin residents to participate in Classroom Coaches. At the Capitol, we are encouraging our staff to get involved, and leaders throughout the Austin business community, in city government and in the state agencies are doing the same.
Just one hour a week can make a remarkable difference in the lives of students. Won't you join in making a difference for the next generation of Texas children?
To find out more about Classroom Coaches or how you can make a difference in Austin schools, visit www.ClassroomCoaching.org.
Shapiro is a Republican from Plano. Howard is a
Democrat from Austin.
To view full statesman article click here.
September 25, 2009 - Editorial from The Austin American Statesman <http://tinyurl.com/y9lflja >
