Student Success Archives

May 27 2025

Helping Kids with ADHD Focus: Classroom and Home Strategies

As a special education teacher, I’m frequently asked to observe students who appear to be distracted. As teachers, we can’t diagnose but we can find ways to support students who struggle in the classroom, regardless if it’s ADHD.

Today’s classrooms are not what many think, learning is hard and standards must be met, so students spend more time sitting than moving around. Students’ minds move fast, their energy levels fluctuate, and traditional learning environments don’t always meet their needs. Parents often ask, “How can I help my child focus better?” [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

May 13 2025

Why Does My Child Need Assessments?

Springtime on any school campus brings a schedule jam-packed with activities, events, celebrations, and, everyone’s favorite, standardized testing. Right at the time when students can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, they are hit from left and right with test after test, and assessment after assessment. Some forms of standardized testing start early, even in Kindergarten or first grade. My daughter is only in first grade, and at our last parent-teacher conference, we were shown almost 2 years worth of diagnostic and assessment data about her performance. [Read more…]

Kevin Myers

Dr. Kevin Myers is an Executive Administrator for YPI Charter Schools and the Principal at Bert Corona Charter School. He has served the Los Angeles community as a teacher, administrator, and grant director for over 20 years. He has a passion for developing teachers and educational leaders to engage in the challenging work of bringing equity to our schools and our communities. Dr. Myers has developed an expertise in supporting underserved communities, building effective and cohesive school leadership teams, and engaging parents to uplift their communities through engagement at their children’s schools. He wrote his dissertation on teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction and is a strong advocate for supporting and working with teachers to build a strong and successful school community. In addition to his work at YPI Charter Schools, Dr. Myers is also a faculty member at Cal State Fresno and works with student teacher candidates to earn their credentials as they work through the CalState TEACH program.

www.GenParenting.com

Mar 04 2025

How to Get Involved in Your Kid’s School

In the modern age of communication, schools inundate parents with messages about schedules, coffee with the principal, upcoming events, and opportunities to participate in training. Like most parents I have spoken to, I often save those emails and texts for later, hoping that “future me” will be able to find a way to participate more meaningfully. In most schools, a small percentage of parents are highly involved, a few more come to monthly events and meetings, and the majority only come to major events like Back to School Night and Parent Conferences. I am one of the “Monthly Event” parents, and my wife and I are constantly trying to determine how we can get more engaged.

But some would ask, “Why bother?” If I go to the big events, I support my child by helping with homework. I provide meaningful learning opportunities at home. I also make sure my child attends school. Why do I have to take time to go to campus? This is an especially pertinent question given that many schools only offer engagement opportunities between 8 AM and 5 PM. This means parents have to leave work early or take time off to come to the school to support.

What Our Kids Observe

The answer is in the perception of the child. Our involvement at our child’s school reinforces the value and importance of education. It solidifies the child’s understanding that the adults in their life are working together to make sure the child gets the best education possible. It also helps to build relationships and understanding between teachers, staff, and parents making it easier for that team to collaborate and more difficult for the child to play adults against each other. When school adults and home adults are working in partnership to provide a great educational experience, the student will take his or her education more seriously and the adults will be able to better meet the needs of the student.

Strategies to Get Involved

So how can you get involved? Here are some tips for getting engaged in a way that is meaningful to you:

If you are the parent of a child with special needs or the parent of an English Learner (EL), inquire about the opportunities your school has for you. Schools are required to have a School Advisory Council that includes parents as members, and they have to have an EL Parent Advisory Council. These meetings are led by the school principal and attended by a variety of stakeholders, including parents!
Also, if your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), you should attend and engage in your child’s IEP meeting! Often parents think the educators know best, and they do have a lot of strategies that are great for your child. But so do you! You know your child best and you can offer a lot that would help them succeed.
Most schools are looking for volunteers to help with field trips or fundraisers, and many schools would love to have some more adults around to help with supervision. Ask your school’s administration how you can sign up to be a parent volunteer.
Bring fruit or water to your school’s sporting events. Of course, make sure you check in with the coach or athletic director first. The kids will love to have some orange slices or snacks after the game. This could make you the football hero mom/dad!
When you see a need, offer your help! Instead of just bringing concerns forward, jump in like a partner. If you see traffic is crazy during drop-off, ask if you can be trained to help direct traffic a couple of days per week. If you see that the kids look bored during recess, offer to bring in arts and crafts the kids could do in the lunch area. If your kid’s teachers seem tired, bring them some coffee and donuts!

No matter how you get involved, think of a way that fits for you and just jump in. When you do, talk to your child about what you are doing and how you are engaging at the school. This should lead to more conversations with your child and a lasting impression of the importance of their education.

Kevin Myers

www.GenParenting.com

Jan 21 2025

Homework Can Be a Game Changer!

After 40 years of teaching, parenting, and now grandparenting, I have helped hundreds of kids and supported countless parents with homework challenges. Some students love to get their homework done and demand instant help from parents regardless of the family’s schedule. Others race through their assignments and will write down any answer just to get rid of the assignment so they can pursue fun activities. And then there are the anxious students who are overwhelmed with many assignments and need lots of encouragement and help. The problem is most parents are not equipped to help their children adequately at home because of time, knowledge, or having to deal with difficult panic behaviors with their children. So, what can a parent do to make this task more enjoyable for all? [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Dec 24 2024

Classroom Differentiated Instruction is Critical for Student Success

Differentiation is a term that has gained significant traction in educational circles over the years and for a good reason. As classrooms become increasingly diverse, teachers are continually challenged to meet the unique needs of each student. Differentiation is an instructional approach that addresses these needs, aiming to ensure that all students have equitable access to learning. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley