Pomona Unified Expands Parent Engagement with New Parent Center at Simons Middle School

Simons Middle School celebrated the grand opening of its new Parent Center, providing parents with the opportunity to network, build strong relationships and have a hand in the success of their children.

The Oct. 21 opening of the learning center drew dozens of parents and District staff, who will be on hand to ensure parents are receiving the resources and information to help support their children’s educational pursuits and achievements.

“Parents play a critical role in the success of our students, and in order to provide them every opportunity to thrive in college and career, we need influential parent voices and involvement each step of the way,” said Board of Education President Andrew Wong. “By working closely with various parent groups, fostering parent teacher organization and establishing parent centers across our schools, I am confident that Pomona Unified will continue to produce stellar students.”

Pomona Unified has made parent engagement and community outreach a priority under its Local Accountability and Control Plan (LCAP), a document that outlines student needs, as well as the funding and programs the District will use to meet those needs.

About 60 percent of Pomona Unified schools have parent centers. In September, the District opened a model Parent Center at the District Office, where parents are trained to be leaders who positively promote District-wide initiatives and academic programs that bolster student success.

In addition to the parent centers, Pomona Unified is one of about 20 school districts in the state to implement the School Smarts Parent Engagement Program.

The empowerment program is based on extensive research conducted by the California State PTA, which found that student success is greater when parents are actively involved in their children’s education. The program offers academy topics on parent involvement, preparing for a lifetime of learning, understanding the education system, understanding their children’s school, becoming an effective communicator, standing up for quality education and taking action.

“We want to encourage parents to not only be invested in their children’s education through active engagement, but also connect to their school communities,” Superintendent Richard Martinez said.

“Parent centers are valuable resources in our community and provide parents a place where they can support the success of their school and learn about the various educational programs that are in place to help students reach their highest potential.”

Simons Middle School is at 900 E. Franklin Ave., Pomona.