Becky Glover (right) of Parents for Public Schools speaks to a group of parents and residents of George Reese Courts while Thomas Jefferson Young (background) listens.

    The Meridian chapter of Parents for Public Schools reached out to the George Reese Court community Tuesday to hear what parents wanted from their school district, and also to mobilize them.

    “We’re specifically seeking conversation with parents in the different housing communities with the Meridian Housing Authority,” said Becky Glover, parent coach for PPS. “This is just the first in a series of these.”

    Glover said that PPS will be visiting all of the city’s housing communities in the coming weeks to reach as many parents as possible.

    At the meeting, residents also made tentative plans to attend the June 21 Meridian Public School District board meeting to establish a presence and see how the board works. Glover said she will be contacting the MHA and other entities for vans to transport concerned parents from the community.

    Traci Wright, 42, was one of nearly 40 residents and citizens who came the Court’s meeting, bringing her 9-year-old daughter, Tiara Ellis, with her.

    Tiara attends Poplar Springs Elementary School, and Wright said that among her chief concerns is her daughter’s safety while riding the bus.

    “I’ll be really concerned if she made it to school all right, or if she made it home OK,” Wright said. “One day, (Tiara) said, ‘Mama, we like to run into a ditch.'”

    Wright also said she felt the layout at Poplar Springs was too open, making it easy for strangers to enter the school.

    Thomas Jefferson Young, who works with the poverty study group at Mississippi State University Extension Service, helped coordinate the meeting, encouraging residents present to voice their concerns at the meeting. He said the PPS meeting helped to break down “long-established barriers.”

    “Many community folks are intimidated with regards to approaching bureaucracy, administration and that kind of thing,” Young said. “We have too few parents attending local (Parent Teacher Organization) meetings, and that’s where they should attend in order to share information with the school system as well as with their other colleagues.

    “That brings about a greater closeness in the community, because all of us want better, quality education and our children to live in a safe community and in order to do that, we’ve got to start communicating.”

    Glover posed the questions, “How are you involved at home?” and “How are you involved at the school?” to parents, as well as asking why parents wouldn’t be involved at either home or school.

    “It’s important that you vocalize what your concerns and what your expectations are so you’ll start to be more aware as a parent that you do have (them), but also in a group setting like this so you can hear there are other parents that have the same concerns and expectations,” Glover said. “You’re not alone.

    “By reaching out to other parents and then by reaching out to the schools in a direct and respectful way… you can start to bring about positive changes.”

    Cecil Johnson, director of community and supportive services at MHA, said that the MHA is continuing to help parents become more self-sufficient, mentioning job opportunities afforded by education as chances to do just that. He also cited the importance of parents working with school officials to “bring about quality education.” 

    “The only improvements that are going to come to the school are from the parents’ involvement,” Johnson said. “All parents need to be involved with their children’s education.

    “We’re just trying to stress that particularly in public housing.”

    Glover said she will be holding introductory meetings to Magnolia Courts today, Oakland Heights on Thursday and Western Gardens on Friday morning. She also will head to Eastern Gardens Apartments June 17 at 3:30 p.m. to talk with residents and parents there as in Tuesday’s meeting.