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Jorge Barrientos

Education Reporter

jbarrientos@bakersfield.com

661-395-7423

Jorge Barrientos has come full circle, so to speak. He moved from Orange County to Bakersfield when he was in elementary school, attending McKee Elementary in Greenfield. Then came Ollivier Junior High and Ridgeview High schools, where he was involved in journalism all four years.

New parent education courses offered

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) classes have begun at the following school sites: Arvin High School, Ridgeview High School, and Golden Valley High School.

New courses will begin starting October 4th Workshops at Horace Mann Elementary will begin October 4th at 8:30am and/or 6pm. Jefferson Elementary October 5th at 8:30am and/or 6pm, and finally at West High School at 6:00pm

Introductory meeting will take place at each individual school site. The program lasts for nine weeks, once a week for one hour and a half.

Principals' Samuel Pacheco, Dayna Gardner, and Dean McGee will preside over the initial meeting at their respective sites. Beatriz Garcia former PIQE parent graduate from West High Schools states, "The PIQE program has become, for many of us, a new sense of hope. PIQE has helped me have a better communication with my daughter's teacher. Now I know what types of questions to ask the teacher".

Research has shown that, by empowering families with valuable information and skills, parent engagement in education is the most effective way to improve the lives of our children, end the cycle of poverty, reduce crime, and help rebuild our communities. According to a study by McKinsey & Co., by eighth grade more than 40% of African-American and Hispanic students will score "below basic" for math and reading and nearly 50% will drop out of high school. Those who drop out will be five to eight times more likely to go to prison and will earn 40% less than a college graduate. PIQE's goal is to reverse this alarming trend.

ABOUT PIQE: PIQE's mission: we are committed to connect families, schools and community as partners to advance the education of every child through parent engagement. PIQE is a California statewide and national 501(c) (3) community-based organization dedicated to innovative educational reform by informing and motivating low-income and immigrant parents to become knowledgeable about how to navigate the school system and seek the educational opportunities available for their children. Since its inception in 1987, PIQE has graduated more than 500,000 parents and impacted the social and educational development of over 1.5 million.

-- Parent Institute for Quality Education, News Release

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