Program Links Parents, Education : Schools: District officials hope that involving adults in their children’s lives will increase student achievement.

Hoping to build stronger family bonds, the Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a new program that officials say could go a long way toward improving student achievement by getting parents more involved in the lives of their children.

Notebooks and pencils in hand, a dozen South Bay parents gathered in a two-room bungalow behind the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Elementary District 7 office in Gardena earlier this month for a two-hour lecture on self-esteem.

The Nov. 6 meeting was the first in a series of weekly sessions where parents will discuss domestic and educational issues that affect their children.

“It’s an effort to link parents to the educational system,” says Bonnie Rubio, school district administrator. “It’s our way of getting directly involved with the parents, to hear their concerns. This way, we service both the parents and the students.”

Rubio called the new South Bay parent center, which is funded through a federal project, “a place where parents can come together, . . . someplace that they can call their own, . . . learn about the school environment, the politics of the LAUSD.”

“When parents are involved, you see a tremendous difference in their children’s achievement.”

The South Bay center will serve the 79 schools in Elementary District 7, which stretches from San Pedro to Watts. The classes include topics ranging from childhood development and health education to guidance on how parents can steer their children away from gangs and other bad influences.

Adele Fornaro, the center’s adviser, said the center will also add remedial courses in English and math so parents can help their children with homework.

The first class was taught by Lulu Lopez, project director for the Los Angeles Unified Youth, Gang, Drug Prevention Program. Parents did several exercises designed to raise self-esteem: listing positive traits about themselves, giving another parent compliments and practicing how to phrase requests to their children more positively.

“You can’t be good parents if you have a low opinion of yourself,” Lopez said. “Being good parents starts with a positive attitude. All you have to do is change how you think.”

In one exercise, parents huddled in groups of four and spoke positively about themselves, for about two minutes each.

After several awkward moments, Grace Vega of Gardena started to get the hang of it.

“I’m loving, kind and caring,” she said.

Later, she said she had been feeling bad about herself for weeks. “And I think it started to affect my kids. (The class) has helped me feel better about myself.”

Priscilla Madrid, Vega’s 14-year-old daughter, was the only child to attend the class--organizers say they are welcome but few attend--and said it made her realize that she needed to be more supportive of her mother. She promptly promised to help more with the household chores.

“I’m going to make sure she feels better about herself,” she said.

Madrid and her mother said they enjoyed the class because of its relaxed structure.

Gloria Westfield, who car-pooled with eight parents from Figueroa Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, agreed.

“It’s a classroom atmosphere, but its also a comfort zone,” she said. “I don’t feel any academic pressure.”