The parent-teacher home visit program that PVP initiated in 2006 will benefit many new families next year thanks to a $1.25 million, five year, "Closing the Achievement Gap" grant that the Springfield Education Association and the Springfield Public Schools received from the National Education Association Foundation. The grant will be used to expand the teacher home visit program in twelve schools and to select six of those schools to be part of a teacher-administrator problem-solving process to improve schools. PVP is a community partner on the grant, and it will work in partnership with the teachers union and the school department to implement the home visit portion of this grant.

 

Home Visit Project History

PVP began five years ago to improve education and schools through parent involvement. Our Education Committee worked intensively with Washington Elementary School and Homer Elementary School to learn ways to increase parent involvement. PVP recognized that building relationships between teachers and parents is the key to increased parent involvement both with student learning and in schools. Sacramento, CA's school district found that teacher home visits are an effective way to build relationships with parents. In June 2005, PVP brought a team from Sacramento to meet with the principals, teachers, and school administrators to learn about their teacher home visit program. A team from Duggan School visited Sacramento in November 2005, and implemented the city's teacher home visit program in 2006. PVP worked with Duggan School to design and implement the home visit program, and to train and support teachers. In April 2007, PVP went to the school committee with the support of the school department's Office of Parent Engagement partnership with the school department and teachers union to create the citywide program which is now in it third year.