March 2023 Newsletter
A Note From Your PEI Team
Dear Parent Mentor Family,
Since 2012, we have traveled to Springfield with thousands of letters, flowers, photos, and even homemade trees to create, protect, or increase funding for the Parent Mentor Program. Acting out of love, we have seen our Parent Mentor budget line grow from $1 million in FY13 to $8M today.
This spring we are respectfully and unapologetically requesting $13.5M for the Parent Mentor Program in General Revenue Funds.
$13.5M is for:
Equity: Ensure all Parent Mentor Coordinators statewide can be paid at least 20 hours/week
Capacity: Make sure partner organizations have the staffing and stipend funding to run a quality program in the face of rising operating costs
Opportunity: Bring the Parent Mentor Program to at least 10 additional schools
Parent Mentors and Parent Mentor staff love what we do, but we can’t live on love alone. Over 90% of Parent Mentor staff and Parent Mentors are women of color, mothers dedicating their days to improving and filling the gaps in some of our most under-resourced, highest poverty elementary schools in the state. In other words, doing some of our state’s most important work every day.
Community organizations have operated the Parent Mentor Program on a shoestring budget and relied on passion to make ends meet. We have prided ourselves on our fundraising creativity and hustle, but we can’t keep up with rising operating costs. This bandaid solution of relying on nonprofit fundraising to fill budget gaps is not equitable because not all organizations or school districts have equal fundraising capacity.
We are asking for $13.5M out of deep respect for the parents who lead this work in our communities. The Parent Mentor Program is unique, it is valuable, and it is worth funding sustainably and equitably.
To our parent mentors and coordinators, thank you for telling your story everywhere you go.
To our legislator champions, thank you for listening and walking with us as we create this path together.
See you in our schools and/or in Springfield!
The Parent Engagement Institute Team
Above: A parent mentor hard at work at Gale Elementary Community Academy, meeting students where they’re at. Let's raise the floor for the Parent Mentor Program and bring home $13.5M!
featured story
Parent Mentors Across Illinois Welcome Legislators Into Their Schools
Over the last few weeks, our partner organizations and their Parent Mentors are meeting with elected officials across the state of Illinois to share how the Parent Mentor Program has positively impacted their lives, their families, their schools, and their communities. Check out the highlights below.
Woodland Elementary School
Woodland Community School District’s Parent Mentor team welcomed State Representative Joyce Mason and State Representative Candidate Laura Faver Dias for a presentation and tour. During the visit, teachers shared deeply moving testimony about how Parent Mentors taught their students to read, and Parent Mentor Coordinators expressed their deep admiration for Parent Mentor Program Support Manager Kathy Davis and her tireless guidance. Highlighting how the program inspires and builds ladders of opportunity for parents to begin careers in education, one Parent Mentor shared she now has a Paraprofessional License thanks to coaching from Flor Dimas and others at the Parent Engagement Institute. It was a beautiful day!
The Resurrection Project
The Resurrection Project’s Parent Mentors met with State Representatives Theresa Mah, Edgar Gonzalez Jr., Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, and Aarón M. Ortiz in Springfield.
MONTHLY PHOTO ROUND UP
WINTER/SPRING WORKSHOPS
Upcoming Workshop Schedule
Wednesday, March 22:Training on Instructional Practices for Tutors, Organizers, and Parents (TIPTOP) -Student Engagement: Engaging Student Attention throughout a Learning Activity
Wednesday, March 29:TIPTOP -Quality Questions: Questioning Strategies to Extend Student Thinking
Wednesday, April 5:No workshop - Happy Spring Break!
Wednesday, April 12:Building Relationships through the Power of Sharing Your Story
Wednesday, April 19:TIPTOP -Effective Feedback:Providing Individual and Specific Feedback to Increase Student Understanding
Wednesday, April 26:Beyond the Classroom Series: Organizing Tools #4
All workshops take place on Zoom and are offered at two times:
11:30 am - 1:00 pm: English, Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm: English or Spanish.
