For the sixth year, the Francis Marion University (FMU) Center of Excellence
(COE) to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty earned the Partnership Organization
Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at John Hopkins
University.
The network gives the Partnership Organization Award to its members who
are successful at integrating the groups’ principles into schools and their communities
across the nation.
According to COE Associate Director Markey Bee, the center was recognized
again this year for the work they’ve done to aid schools across the state in building
strong relationships in the communities and between students and parents.
“We joined the Network in 2005 as part of training for children of poverty,” Bee
said. “We know what the research says about the involvement of parents and how
important it is to get parents involved and that it’s critical when working with children
of poverty.”
According to Bee, the NNPS was formed in 1996 by Dr. Joyce Epstein to help
support schools, districts, states and organizations that are interested in strengthening
programs to work with parents in the community. Bee said the network provides a
frame work and a way to help schools organize what they are already doing to reach
more parents.
“Life happens and [parents] have a lot of things on their plate and education
does not always have priority,” Bee said. “Schools have to really reach out in order to
reach parents and that’s what this program is really about. We help schools reach out to those parents that are sometimes hard to reach.”