March 13, 2008

UAB Community and Schools Together (CAST), a project to promote increased parent involvement at urban schools, presented a Reader's Theater skit at the Birmingham City School's Parents' Camp to help foster better communications between parents, teachers and administrators at urban schools.

UAB School of Education faculty presented the skit about parent participation at schools on Thursday, March 13 at the Central Park United Methodist Church,  The skit contains actual statements made by parents in focus groups. More than 80 parents, along with some Birmingham Public Schools staff, attended. UAB faculty members were on hand to discuss the benefits of parent involvement in schools and the factors that hinder urban parents from taking a more active role at school.

The UAB Community and Schools Together (CAST) is a project to support the involvement of families and communities in the education of urban students.  Through the project, UAB faculty in the School of Education research current national and local trends in parent involvement in schools, and they train education professionals who work closely with urban parents and families. UAB CAST is a clearinghouse for information on effective practices in promoting urban family involvement in education. UAB CAST is a project of the new UAB Center for Urban Education, which is housed in the UAB School of Education.  UAB Associate Professor Deborah Voltz, Ed.D. is the Center's director. UAB Assistant Professor Tondra Loder-Jackson, Ph.D., is a UAB CAST coordinator.