Platt Park Mom on a Mission
Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by KB in Posts
I recently sat down for an interview with Jennifer Piccolo, a mother of two, who is starting a grass roots movement in her Platt Park Neighborhood to help improve their quality of schools.
KB: Please tell me a little bit about yourself.
JP: I am a mother of two young children, ages 5 and 3. We have lived in the Platt Park Neighborhood for five years now. We knew when we moved here that the schools were not up to par but we were hoping that would change in time. My husband and I are both believers in public schools. I also work full-time as a Project Manager for a technology company. I have an MBA but no formal educational background. Education has always been an important issue for me and I’ve become passionate about it since my own children will be starting school very soon. We lived in Dallas prior to moving here to Denver. My husband and I got involved in starting a non-profit outdoor adventure program for inner city kids there. It’s a subsidiary of the program, Trips for Kids http://www.tripsforkidsdenver.org/ here in Denver. I enjoy running and skiing during my free time.
KB: What is the Platt Park Neighborhood School Committee?
JP: We are a newly formed committee working alongside 3PA (Platt Park People’s Association) to improve the quality of our neighborhood schools through community engagement and advocacy. Our committee started in early January of 2010.
There are two major goals on which we are focusing: The first is community engagement–engaging the community to support our local schools which include Asbury and McKinley-Thatcher (elementary schools), Grant Middle School, and South High School. Our second goal is advocacy for our schools. This would entail partnering with the schools to improve the quality of education while meeting the needs and expectations of parents in the neighborhood. The goal is to have more families choosing their neighborhood school instead of choicing in to other nearby schools.
KB: What is your role within this committee?
JP: I guess I would be the Director of the committee. My role is to invigorate the community to get involved with the schools and various programs. I also hope to be a facilitator between members of the community and the schools themselves, including Principals of the schools and members of the Parent Teacher Associations.
KB: Why did you want to take on this role and what do you hope to accomplish?
JP: I have been talking about the issue of schools for the last few years with my friends. My children are of school age and I have a vested interest now. Like most parents, I want my children to receive the best possible education they can.
As founder of this committee I hope to accomplish the following:
- Improve quality of schools through partnerships with the principals and PTA
- Find the gaps and needs within a school and lobby the community and school district in helping address them
- Increase fundraising for the schools
- Find individuals to engage in grant writing to improve the quality of educational programs
- Start a tutoring program to increase test scores at the schools
- Improve school websites
And the ultimate goal is to help families see that our neighborhood schools are of value and worth fighting for! The hope is bringing the community together by collaborating with schools to see what their needs are and how the community can better support them. Also, talking with families to learn further about their expectations of what makes a great neighborhood school. The end result is coming together as a community to make this a reality.
KB: What steps do you plan on taking to achieve these goals?
JP: One of the first things I did as Director of this committee was to visit each of the four schools. I met the principals to educate them about our committee and what we hope to accomplish. We plan to learn the needs of each school then decide how we can best support them.
One school needed assistance with its website recently. I found a parent who is currently working on this project. It’s the little things we can address that can lead to the bigger things. We also helped with a couple of recent fundraisers for the school. I hope to create a database of volunteers from within the community who can donate their time an hour a week at a school.
KB: What are your thoughts about sending your children to an under-performing school and how do you think you can overcome the obstacles associated with it?
JP: Currently, the schools in our area are not only racially diverse but socioeconomically diverse as well. Our schools are not in need of the district stepping in to assist, but they are in need of a major transformation. It’s up to us in the community to make that change. I am an optimist. I believe we can come together, work hard, and make a BIG difference. I am a believer in school choice. It creates healthy competition. First and foremost, we as parents must look at our child’s needs then decide which school is most suitable for him or her. With all that said, to improve the quality of education at a school, it’s up to members of the neighborhood to take a stand. I am nervous to start an organization like this, since there are no clear-cut deliverables and outcomes that I’m used to in the business world. But inaction is just not an option.
KB: What advice would you give to other parents who want to rally around their neighborhood schools to improve the quality of education?
JP: My advice is to just do it! I’ve been talking about schools with my friends for the last four years and now and I am finally doing something about it. You don’t have to know it all. I have no educational background but instead, a passion for quality public schools for my children– all children. Sometimes it’s easier to choice out of your neighborhood school rather than support it. However, imagine the possibilities, if every community made an effort such as this to improve the quality of education by supporting their neighborhood school. Since Grant and South serve various other areas, I’d love to hear from and work with any other community groups that might be interested in a partnership.
Thanks to Jenn and the Platt Park Neighborhood School Committee for taking on this role. It’s not an easy task and they have a long road ahead. The saying, ‘it takes a village’, comes to mind here. We admire Jenn’s passion for education and wish her (and the committee) the best of luck with this quest. We hope Jenn’s interview inspires other parents to get out there and get involved with their child’s school and education!
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