New York City’s universal pre-K program wants to teach parents, too [ChalkBeat.org]

Setting preschoolers up for success takes more than good teachers — it also takes effective parenting.

That’s why New York City — which has already been lauded for its focus on teacher training and quality in pre-K — is turning its sights to the home.

This school year, the Department of Education and New York University will launch a new parenting program to help low-income families reinforce classroom lessons at home. Called ParentCorps, the research-backed initiative brings parents, teachers and students together to help kids grow — not just academically but also emotionally.

“Families are the primary teachers for their children,” said DOE Deputy Chancellor Josh Wallack, who oversees Pre-K for All, the city’s universal pre-K program. “One of our foundational approaches is that we do put the family at the center of pre-K.”

ParentCorps will start in 21 preschools and ramp up over time. Parents are asked to come to school for training sessions led by teachers and mental health professionals over 14 weeks. Together, they talk frankly about the particular parenting challenges low-income families face, like staying patient with children while managing the stress of working multiple jobs.

[For more of this story, written by Christina Veiga, go to http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts...ts-too/#.V9tFMfkrKOX]