Parent Academy teaches parents how to advocate for students’ education
by ABBEY BUTTACAVOLI, NBC 10 NEWS
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The organization Stop the Wait Rhode Island is offering a course called the Parent Academy.
The Parent Academy is for Rhode Island parents who wish to learn how to advocate for their student’s education.
It was started by Janie Segui-Rodriguez.
“I was a mom who was trying to navigate the public school system while my daughter was drowning,” said Segui-Rodriguez.
She said it took years of struggling while living in low-income housing to gain the knowledge she needed to properly advocate for her child.
Segui-Rodriguez said she eventually got her daughter enrolled in Achievement First Public Charter School in Providence, where her daughter quickly received the support she needed.
“I feel like they saved her life,” said Segui-Rodriguez.
Her journey inspired the creation of Stop the Wait Rhode Island: a non-profit with a purpose to educate and provide resources to families across the state.
“The Parent Academy is all of those things that I learned over the years, and we put it into a 12 hour program,” said Segui-Rodriguez.
The Parent Academy is free, childcare is offered, and food is provided during class.
Susan De Paz is a recent parent graduate. She is one of nearly 50 parent graduates from the summer session.
Her daughter is about to enter kindergarten.
“I just wanted to be one step ahead. My parents didn’t have that when we were young, and so I don’t wanna follow in the same footsteps that they did. They did the best that they could with what they had, and now I’m being proactive and trying to figure out what resources I have that can help me be a better parent and my daughter,” said De Paz.
De Paz said she feels empowered to be proactive.
“You don’t have to wait until you know something bad happens in school,” said De Paz.
There are two sessions of the Parent Academy being offered this December at Stop the Wait Rhode Island in Providence. Parents will be able to learn about early intervention, special education, multilingual student rights, and bullying among other topics.
“We want to make sure that parents have the information that they need to be better advocates for their kids because it took me years to find out the things that I needed to know to better support my daughter, and everyone doesn’t have that. The kids don’t have the luxury of time,” said Segui-Rodriguez.
To register for either of the two sessions, visit STWRI Website.