LEARN Aims to Involve Parents

* Congratulations to teacher Adrienne Mack for her personal decision to vote for LEARN (Valley Commentary, Sept. 18). She correctly cited LEARN’s objective as being that “individual schools be given the opportunity to develop their own educational programs, according to the needs of the community and the students they serve.”

Ms. Mack’s article, however, missed LEARN’s emphasis on the importance of actively supporting the participation of interested parents in the education of their children.

U.S. Education Secretary William Riley recently announced his national initiative in family involvement. The Washington Post has editorially commended Riley for his new parent-involvement initiative, saying parents can best shape their children’s ability to benefit from formal schooling. The independent, nonprofit Parent Knowledge Network, whose policy research and demonstration programs are cited by Riley, found significant improvement in student achievement where informed parents work with teachers.

LEARN was an early pioneer in advocating parent involvement and fully supports the national education goal embodied in federal law: that by 2000 every school promote programs that increase the participation of parents in the social, emotional and academic growth of their children. LEARN’s programs include materials to inform parents about what their children should be learning at each grade level and guidelines on how parents can help.

Ms. Mack also made reference to LEARN as possibly another “paper tiger” whose “faddish project” will soon pass. This will come as a surprise to those community volunteers who have invested many thousands of hours developing grass-roots plans and action steps that empower parents and teachers to participate directly in the reform of their schools. We hope teachers will work just as diligently in their volunteer and paid efforts on behalf of all children in the Los Angeles city schools.

WAYNE M. BURNETTE

Studio City

Burnette is chairman of the Center for Leadership Development .