'Obama Effect' at school: Black parents volunteer, expect more

[jefferson_dem]

'Obama Effect' at school: Black parents volunteer, expect more
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY

A new survey suggests that President Obama's victory last November had a positive effect not just on the academic expectations of black Americans — it may have raised parents' interests in volunteerism.
The "Obama Effect," documented last winter, showed that Obama's rise during the 2008 presidential election helped improve African Americans' performance on skills tests, which helped narrow a black-white achievement gap.

In the new findings, African-American parents of children in K-12 schools say they're much more likely to volunteer in a classroom this fall, in effect narrowing a volunteering gap.

The survey, being released today by GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit that promotes parental involvement, finds a jump of 37 percentage points in the portion of African-American parents who say they'll volunteer in their child's school — 60% vs. 23% a year ago.

In the same period, the percentage of white parents who plan to volunteer rose six points, from 47% to 53%.

"Clearly, this data is showing that the parent in chief, President Obama, is having an impact on parents' thinking, especially African-American parents' thinking," GreatSchools CEO Bill Jackson says. He notes that in several speeches, Obama has urged parents to turn off the TV, read to their children and attend parent-teacher conferences.

"That jump that we're seeing … is clearly a response to that," he says.

<SNIP>

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-08-06-obama-effect-schools_N.htm?csp=34

[jberryhill]

1. Naw... They Were Inspired By Sarah Palin's Start On The PTA

You betcha.

[TexasObserver]

2. Recommend

[NJCher]

3. as an educator

This touches me.

Thanks for posting this and starting my day off in a positive way.


Cher

[otohara]

4. Wonderful News

no doubt the wingnuts see this as a threat to their whiteness

[Uzybone]

5. K&R

[FrenchieCat]

6. He might just save this nation's future.

And that is exactly what is needed.

[uponit7771]

7. Yeap, America selecting Obama as her president has set new standards for my cousins kids at least

[Cha]

8. THis is the kind of report

I like to hear about! It was bound to happen.. The racist bigots can rant and rave about "their America" but meanwhile responsible people go about their lives more productively.