Allison Altieri noted that towns and schools should have parent training programs so that children seamlessly transition between home and school.
A position created by the town of Vernon is hoping to bridge the communication gap that can develop between parents and educators.
In Vernon, Allison Altieri is known as the town's "birth-to-eight coordinator." She says that she's basically a liaison between families and the district -- dispensing free advice to parents that will help their kids get ready for school.
"During the summer months, mostly, I'm actually out in the community going to play groups -- anywhere there are families -- playgrounds, day care, anywhere I can run into parents, and I talk to them about getting their kids ready for school," Altieri said.
Altieri said she's probably the only person in the state doing this job.
"I can tell you how to work with your child and talk with your child and things to have your child experience over the summer so that when they come to the school, they have skills that you might not have thought were important, like knowing how to do their zipper," Altieri said.
Ralph Smith, senior vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said it's important for parents to develop their own vision of success for their kids, and for schools to give them the tools to do it.
"There may be no silver bullet, there may be no magic potion, but there is a secret sauce. And the secret sauce is parents," he said.
Both Altieri and Smith spoke at the Childhood Conversations Conferencein Windsor on Saturday.
Altieri noted that towns and schools should have parent training programs so that expectations and responsibilities are clear, and so children seamlessly transition between home and school.
Governor Dannel Malloy has proposed cutting money to the Parent Trust Fund, which helps schools teach parents about their rights.
