Parents meeting to center on school communication

LYNN – Communication, or the lack thereof, will be the focus of the Lynn Parents Organizing for a Better Education forum to be held Wednesday at the Marshall Middle School at 7 p.m.”Last year we shared the results of a citywide survey,” explained Neighbor to Neighbor organizer Lissy Romanow. “This year we’re highlighting one of the discoveries from the survey.”The organization surveyed more than 100 parents last year, and responses focused on the need for renovations in local schools, expanded bus routes, and parents’ desire for more gymnasium and library space in schools as well as the need for communication.The plan this year, Romanow explained, is to hear from parents regarding their concerns then breaking off into groups to work on specific issues.”You will be able to go to any group, like interpretation and translation, or one about including parents in the decision-making process,” Romanow explained.Parent Scott Nowka, who has been with the organization since it was formed in early 2012, said he will head one group that will ask parents the best way to announce things. He said often papers are sent home in students’ backpacks but they don’t always make it into parents’ hands leading some parents to complain that they didn’t receive proper notification of a given event.”And I’ll ask parents what they think proper notification is,” he added.Once in the small groups participants will be asked to not only discuss their concerns but come up with possible remedies, Romanow said. That information will then be shared with the School Department and School Committee members.”Then we would hope to see changes get under way and if we don’t see changes we will bring the issues to the decision makers,” she said.Those decision makers will likely be ready to listen to whatever the organization presents. Nowka said the school system and the teachers union has been very receptive in regards to the forum. Superintendent Catherine Latham allowed the group to send a flier home with students announcing the event and the Teachers Union notified its members as well.Nowka said initially people seemed to gravitate to the group because they were dissatisfied with something, but now people are listening to what they have to say.Both Nowka and Romanow said they are hoping to attract at least 100, if not more, parents, educators and interested residents to the event. Last year, about 70 people turned out for the event and Nowka attributed that largely to word of mouth. Romanow said she is hoping to see plenty of parents at the forum, “but we would love to hear a teacher speak as well.”The forum will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Marshall Middle School, 19 Porter St. Child care will be provided.