26270: Nlbo (news) Haitian Parental Involvement Activities -- Boston

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

A slightly edited version of following appeared in the September 2005 issue
of  the Boston Haitian Reporter under the title of

Getting Haitian parents better engaged in Cambridge

Various educational departments in Cambridge held a series of training this
year in an attempt to meet some of the needs of the Haitian community,
primarily students.  In this column I will allude to the programs  that Title I of
Cambridge, the cityâs Bilingual program, the Agenda for Children office, 21rst
Century after school program, and  Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity (SEED)
 held in Creole for Haitian parents and students at nights and weekends.

The Bilingual Department had a small scale, interactive program involving
Haitian college, elementary and high school students.  Haitian college students
mentored  high school and junior high pupils who then helped elementary school
students with homework,  school community meetings and peer interactions.
Several adults worked with all three groups. The program  provided a structured
environment where 12 young Haitians could teach, mentor and interact with new
Haitian immigrants. It is an exemplary program that deserves more funding for
expansion so that second generation US raised and educated Haitians could be
connected and involved in the larger Haitian-American community.

The Agenda for Children office in conjunction with the school departmentâs,
21rst Century after school program organized a day long training event at the
Childrenâs Museum last April.  Haitians were among over 100 primarily âethnicâ
parents who participated in a day long seminars, lectures, group activities
while their children visited the Childrenâs Museum. There were translators for
the English seminars.  In the afternoon, I presented in Creole on âHow Haitian
parents can be involved in their childrenâs education.â Parents were happy
and one parent told me that she âcalled in sickâ  so she could attend that
Saturday workshop.  Other parents expressed contentment because they usually
donât have the time to go out with their children and were pleased that their
children were able to spend a day at the Childrenâs Museum.

At Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Haitian teachers through the Seeking Educational
Equity & Diversity (SEED) project also had trainings on  week nights for
parents.

The Title I funded sessions were presented in  visual and âhands onâ
formats.  Haitian Parents were presented samples of past MCAS tests, the state
Curriculum frameworks for various subjects and other didactic materials used in the
classrooms.  Judith Richards, a Math teacher  at Wheelock with almost three
decades work experience with Haitian students in her monolingual classroom,
demonstrated to parents how everyday objects like bottle caps, coffee filters, or
rubber bands can be mathematically used.  Roseleine Moussignac, Yolette
Ibokette, Marie Joseph,  and myself  facilitated the Literacy and  MCAS workshops.
Emmanuel Vedrine did the translation for most of the handouts. Liz Lamour wrote
the charts that were needed for the presentations.

Presnel Lovaincy, a parent who attended all three sessions found them âbyen
planifye,â - or well planned.  He found the information on the state of Black
America âinteresting and informative.â  Through reading the hand outs
together, the Haitian participants became aware that educational achievement of Blacks
and Hispanics is a national concern.

Mr. Lovaincy expressed interest for a workshop on âReport cardsâ which is
very different from the grading system he knew in Haiti.  As everything in âthe
republic of Cambridge,â report cards vary in the classrooms and in the 13
Cambridge elementary schools.

Marie AndrÃ, another parent voiced that the seminars should happen again this
academic year âso parents who did not participate could come and realize how
much they missed.â One parent asked â Why did the school wait so long for
such training?â

As the organizer of the Title I sessions, bringing either 80, or 50, or 30
Haitians out on Sunday nights  was a monumental job.   No parents responded to
the 250 letters I mailed.  I wrote, called, and e-mailed a number of radio
hosts, Catholic and Protestant clergy and pastoral âleaders.â  Except for Rev.
Thomas St. Louis who invited me to come and put flyers in his protestant church
bulletin board in Cambridge, no church personnel responded.  I went once to
make an announcement on  a Thursday night in the church where the Haitians
Catholics congregate in Cambridge, the reception was so  cold that I did not
return.   Vwa Lakay is the only radio station that showed willingness to announce
educational programs.  However due to my work schedule and the time that the
radio is on the air, it was very difficult to coordinate time(s) to make the
announcements.

Finally Title I allocated funds so  several Haitians were able to call each
of the 250 parents a number of times. I was involved in the phone bank also.
Thinking that I will only call to announce the seminars, I was wrong. Parents
had other issues related to (un)employment immigration, ESL, summer and after
school programs, health, voodoo spells, and a number of problems that require
collective, systemic solutions.

My suggestion to state, city officials and educators is to take charge of the
Haitian community.   Based on my long time experience and my most recent
interactions with various stakeholders,  providing a learning atmosphere to three
generations of Haitians is not a high agenda item in a community that is
ârunâ primarily by first generation Haitian immigrants with limited exposure to
the western culture and ethos.  Educating this generation is important because
the offsprings of an increasing Haitian population will undoubtedly influence
the future make up and demographic of the state and the country.

I hope  the city of Cambridge will be able to obtain more funding to continue
to provide systemic activities such as on going âTown Meetings,â trainings
and seminars to help  Haitians realize that their community will be affected by
the achievement of their children and their lack of involvement.  And if the
city of Cambridge doesnât get the funding,  Haitians after several decades in
this country, could economically provide for the educational and structural
needs of their communities. We can in Boston provide an example that with all
the degrees, the businesses, the homes, the titles we have acquired in this
country, we can be self-sufficient. I also hope that churches, radios, and
community agencies would be more supportive if the city of Cambridge or other
communities would secure funding for similar parental involvement trainings.

Finally although those aforementioned educational seminars were in an
embryonic stage, I hope they could be models that other cities with large Haitian
and/or immigrant  population can expand, capitalize on and use.  I can attest
that the active participation and interest that Cambridge Haitian parents
demonstrated last spring is an indication that with appropriate leadership, patience,
and support, Haitians can be involved in the schools and in the mainstream
community.

Nekita Lamour is an essayist and a veteran educator with a graduate
thelogical degree.  She is a regular contributor to the Reporter.