November is “Be There” Month at RPS

New campaign promotes parental involvement as key to child success.

November 12, 2015; 2:50 PM • by Lesley Bruno

The Richmond Public Schools’ Be There campaign kicked off earlier this month to encourage parental involvement in child education. Based on widely accepted research showing a clear link between student achievement and parent engagement, Be There is a nationwide effort to stimulate family participation in K-12 education.

How does one get involved in this worthy effort? For starters, Richmond schools are inviting parents to take the Parent Pledge, which signals a commitment to engage with teachers and administrators, make homework and learning a priority at home, provide small teachable moments with children outside of the classroom, and involve children in daily household routines.

Transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences by simply sharing knowledge with youngsters is a primary focus of Be There. Organizers have assembled a handy list of suggested ways to do this, which includes inventing a “laundry monster” and a simple math lesson at the ATM machine.

RPS encourages families and educators to share their Be There moments on social media, using the hashtag #BeThereRPS, and to include the name of their school so it might win the district wide Be There Contest. Schools with the greatest participation will receive special recognition at the December School Board meeting and $500 toward a parental engagement program.

November is officially Be There month, but Richmond Public Schools’ focus on parental involvement will continue. Check out the #BeThereRPS Twitter feed for further inspiration!