​MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org;

Interested Parents: Amy Park, Parent Engagement Program Manager, (404) 463-1956, apark@doe.k12.ga.us

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October 21, 2015 -- State School Superintendent Richard Woods today appointed eight new parents to serve on his 2015-2016 Parent Advisory Council (PAC). 

The Superintendent’s PAC has 30 members, all parents who were nominated by their local school districts. New members are selected each year by a committee of Georgia Department of Education representatives based on the applicants’ responses to questions on engaging parents and building parent capacity to ensure student success. Once selected, members serve a two-year term on the council.

“Parents are a child’s first teacher and they are no less influential once that child enters school,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “It is essential that we partner with parents to ensure we’re providing the best possible education for every child. My Parent Advisory Council allows me to hear those parent voices and incorporate their feedback into my decision-making.” 

As members of the council, parents will meet three times during the school year with Superintendent Woods to discuss public education in the state. Their primary focus will be increasing parent and family engagement to foster academic success for students, particularly in Georgia’s Title I schools. 

The PAC allows parents to gain information and provide feedback on new educational policies and projects that affect students and families. Members of the Superintendent's PAC will return to their districts to share the outcomes of the meetings and serve as advisors and ambassadors in their respective communities and schools. 

In addition to the 30 members appointed by local districts, the six 2014-2015 winners of the Georgia Parent Leadership Awards serve as honorary, one-year members on the PAC. The council also includes representatives of Georgia PTA, Communities in Schools of Georgia, Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Parent to Parent of Georgia, United Way of Greater Atlanta, and Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

The first meeting will be held October 26, 2015. Members of the Superintendent’s PAC will have the opportunity to speak with Superintendent Woods in a group forum, hear presentations on various educational programs, and engage in collaborative work groups to provide input on the upcoming statewide Family Engagement Conference scheduled for February 4-6, 2016 in Athens, GA.

For more information about the PAC, visit the Georgia Department of Education Superintendent’s PAC Webpage at http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-Programs/Pages/Parent-Advisory-Council.aspx