Got a question about your child’s education? Allentown Parent Network has answers
Juan Dipini believes Allentown parents want to be involved in their children’s education — they just don’t know where to begin.
“Parents see the Allentown School District as this big, huge monster,” said Dipini, father of an 8-year-old Sheridan Elementary student. “They’re afraid to even walk in there because they don’t know what to expect.”
That’s why Dipini and a group of other parents have formed the Allentown Parent Network, an organization run by parents for parents that provides information and training to help children receive a better education. The group’s mission is to empower parents and be a supportive resource for them as they navigate the school system.
The Allentown School District, enrolling almost 17,000 students, has tried to hold workshops and informational meetings for parents, but they have been sparsely attended. Dipini and other parents hope that if other parents see meetings are run by their peers, they’ll be more inclined to attend and to ask for help.
Members of the Allentown Parent Network have gone to community events such as the Puerto Rican Parade to meet other parents, and have held workshops on child safety and CPR training. Next month, the Allentown Parent Network will run a workshop on cyberbullying and immunizations. The group is an umbrella organization of the nonprofit Promise Neighborhoods and also receives support from Casa Guadalupe and Upside Allentown.
“This organization is led by parents, and parents know what they need,” said City Councilwoman Cynthia Mota, a member of the parent network. “It’s a different atmosphere when you take parents to the school versus parents meeting where they are at.”
When the group formed almost a year ago, it surveyed 600 parents in the city about what they would like to receive from a parent group, said Daysell Ramirez, another parent in the group. The responses included school safety and information for special education students.
Alvaro and Karina Castillo, parents of three children in the district, said they could have used such a network during their oldest child’s education. Their 16-year-old son has autism, and throughout the years, they had a lot of questions to make sure he was getting the best education possible.
“Having a child with special needs, you always want to have someone to advocate for you and guide you through the process,” Alvaro Castillo said. “It’s so overwhelming with all the information.”
The Allentown Parent Network, meeting at the Promise Neighbroods location on Hamilton Street, is also a place where parents can share tips. Janine Vicalvi is the mother of 8-yearold Gavin, who has special needs and attended Jefferson Elementary last year. At one of the meetings, Vicalvi showcased what she packs in Gavin’s backpack, which includes extra clothes in case he gets messy in lunch or art class.
“Parenting is a journey,” Vicalvi said. “When you’re first entering the school system, you don’t know what to expect.”
The Allentown Parent Network, governed by an advisory council that is also made up of parents, has monthly membership meetings that typically include about 30 people. In the district’s strategic plan that was released in 2017, Allentown administrators prioritized more family engagement. Superintendent Thomas Parker has said that creating a parent network was a goal of his when he came to the district two years ago.
Allentown was active in creating the parent network, but as momentum has grown, district leaders have taken a step back so parents can be in charge.
But the group is not just for parents of children in the Allentown School District. Both Mota and Ramirez send their children to Allentown charter schools. They said they want to help all Allentown parents, rather than just parents in the district.
Group members said they would like the parent network to be a hub where Allentown parents can get information on any questions they have.
Mota said she wants to shatter illusions that low attendance at school board meetings means parents are apathetic about to their child’s education. Usually, she said, that’s because parents are working two jobs or have other responsibilities.
That’s where the Allentown Parent Network aims to come to the parents. “Parents do care,” Mota said. “They serve their children in different capacities.”
The next workshop led by the Allentown Parent Network will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at Casa Guadalupe and will focus on cyberbullying and immunization. Child care will be provided at the workshop.
Morning Call reporter Jacqueline Palochko can be reached at 610-820-6613 or at jpalochko@mcall.com.