Boost! schools welcome parents into the classroom to help kids learn

“When parents are engaged in their children’s education, students have better school attendance, lower rates of suspension, and higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates,” said Jack Healy, president and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven.

Published in the New Haven Register, Saturday, June 04, 2011
By Steve Higgins, Special to the Register

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles outlining United Way of Greater New Haven’s commitment to helping children and youth achieve their potential through education. By providing the appropriate tools, supports and opportunities, children will grow up to become strong individuals and successful members of our community. To get involved, visit http://uwgnh.org/education.

Michael Foley’s oldest son was earning Fs in math class and throwing his schoolbooks to the floor at home in frustration. When Foley went to officials at Clinton Avenue School and told them his son suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, teachers and administrators began working with Foley and his son.

“His math teacher showed me how to help him with his homework, and my son went from Fs to Cs,” said Foley, a single dad with two sons at the school. “The special needs teacher helped him with his reading and he is reading much better now.”