CEAM TEAM IN ACTION: Helping parents learn about school options

CEAM Team keeps parents informed

As summer starts for St. Louis families, the CEAM Team is hitting the streets to help make sure that parents and students have all of the information they need to succeed next year.

The team is working in two areas this year. The team is in South St. Louis, where a new charter school is planned to open in 2018-19, and in North St. Louis, where two public schools closed this spring.

In both areas, the team is knocking on doors and making sure parents are aware of all of their school options. The team helps families find the best option, whether it be a public, charter or private school.

“We are asking if parents are happy with the school their kids are in and if they are aware of how the school performs,” said CEAM Community Outreach Manager Cici Tompkins.

“A lot of the parents we visit are really happy to see us. They are having trouble and ask a lot of questions right away,” added Outreach Team Supervisor Karla Ramirez. “They will try to get as much information at the door as possible.  We usually come back for a one to one meeting because we want to help them out as much as possible.”

In the southern part of the city, the team is telling parents about a new charter school called Kairos. The team asks parents if they are interested in the new school.

This year the team is also targeting the areas around a couple of closed schools.

“They are both closing, and there are likely parents there who do not know where they are going to be sending their kids to now,” said Thompkins.

The CEAM team is out in the community four days a week during June. Over the years, the team has been composed of CEAM staff members and a variety of college students, teachers, parents and CEAM board members.

By getting out on the street and talking directly with parents, CEAM is fighting for parents to achieve three goals:

Access – every student in Missouri should be able to access a good education.

Clarity – information about school and student performance should be easy to obtain and to understand.

Results – effective teachers using effective methods.

How you can help

Providing this one-on-one service costs close to $1,000 per week. If you would like to help CEAM build these relationships and help parents understand their rights and options please consider becoming a monthly CEAM sustainer. Just click the link below, and you can quickly set up an automatic monthly payment.

Click here to become a monthly donor today!

To make a one-time gift, click here.