Change by Doing Explore the world of volunteering and service

There is a strong current push to examine our nation’s public schools and our hard-to-classify-as-anything-but-broken education system. You don’t need me to tell you about abysmal dropout rates, failing test scores, reading comprehension, and, as pointed out in a damning way by the documentary Waiting for Superman, the crisis in teacher quality. What we can do next, do now, is find new ways to commit ourselves to education. It is not just the responsibility of teachers and parents with kids in school, but it is up to all of us to better this system and pull it out of its downward spiral. Each of us can commit to the next generations–really, that’s all there is–committing to those who will follow.

Are you able to give some volunteer time to schools? Project Appleseed is the national campaign for public school improvement. In addition to facilitating ways for caring adults to volunteer, Project Appleseed also boasts the Parental Involvement Pledge:

AS A PARENT, GRANDPARENT, OR CARING ADULT, I hereby give my pledge of commitment to help our community’s children achieve a truly independent future. My declaration of responsibility and commitment to my public schools is stated in these five self-evident truths as spoken by President Woodrow Wilson:

• As Americans, we are the owners of the public school system.
• As owners, we bear a responsibility to participate in the system.
• Accountability for our public schools, their safety, and its employees and its funding rests with us and the rest of the system’s owners.
• Our children’s future depends on the improvement of the public
  schools.
• And this improvement depends on our participation.

THEREFORE AS A PARENT,GRANDPARENT, OR CARING ADULT, I take personal responsibility for my child’s safety and education and the safety and education of the children in this community.

• I pledge to volunteer a minimum of five hours of my time to my public schools each semester.
• I pledge to spend a minimum of fifteen minutes each school night reading with my child or we will work together on homework and enrichment activity.