Champions of Change: Parents on Education
America’s economic competitiveness depends on ensuring every child receives a first-rate education. Investing in educating is crucial to winning the jobs and industries of the future. That’s why this week we’re highlighting parents who are making an impact in their community through their involvement in education. These Champions of Change are working tirelessly to provide safe, high-quality learning environments in classrooms across the country to help secure America’s competitiveness in the 21st century.
Susan Burkinshaw
Working with school administration at Kingsview Middle School in Germantown, MD, Susan helped to create an Anti-Bullying Task Force, which includes participants from the State’s Attorney’s office, PTA leaders, parents, staff and students.
Susana Carella
Susana has a lifelong passion to provide children with top-notch educations. She has worked as researcher and grant writer developing evidence-based educational interventions addressing maternal and child health issues.
Ellen Coulston
The mother of a child with special needs, Ellen has served for six years on the executive board of the Parent Information Center of Delaware, which seeks to advance academic outcomes for students most at risk of academic failure by empowering parents and educators.
Brenda Drummer Martin
As a Mentor, Homeroom Mom, President of NE Kentucky PTA, former President of NE Kentucky Association for Gifted Education, SBDM Council and Commonwealth Institute Parent Leadership Fellow, Brenda has helped make education better.
Melissa Erickson
Melissa has served the past two years as the President of the PTA in Hillsborough County, Florida, the nation's 8th largest district. A military wife, she has also become a strong advocate for the Common Core State Standards.
Pamela Grundy
After helping turn around her son's struggling school, Pamela has become one of her school district's most visible advocates for low-income students and high-poverty schools.
Laurie Halverson
Laurie has been involved in PTA in Montgomery County, MD for 10 years and co-chaired the committee that wrote the county's bully reporting policy.
Felisa Hilbert
Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Felisa has been a volunteer for 35 years and an educator committed to teaching all the values and richness of cultural diversity in our schools.
Deloris Irving
Deloris is President of the Mississippi PTA. Her passion is parent/family engagement. She is married to the Rev. Maurice Irving and effectively uses that platform to unite the church, school and community.
Rebecca Levey
As a New York PTA (PA) Co-President, Rebecca works to address issues like overcrowding and school budget cuts. Her PA rose over $600,000 last year to help pay for everything from books and furniture to a healthy school lunch program.
Valerie Lister
After a career as a sportswriter, Valerie is currently PTA President at Sunrise Valley Elementary School in Reston, VA and serves as Coordinator and Eucharistic Minister trainer at St. John Neumann Catholic Church.
Miguel Rosario
An active volunteer at his son's school Watkins Elementary in Washington, DC, Miguel is passionate about achieving open and transparent school-parent communication, and about encouraging other fathers to become active members of the DC PTA.
Darlene Shue
Just in this school year alone, Darlene has organized 11 new PTAs across Fort Worth. As a PTA representative, she teaches ways to encourage parents to be involved and even organized a training for over 200 participants from FWISD and the North Texas area.
Myrdin Thompson
Myrdin is the mother of three children and has devoted her time and energy to ensuring families across Kentucky are engaged in the education of their children.
Dr. Marilyn Zaragoza
A mother of three, a wife, a science teacher, an administrator, a college professor, a tennis coach, a sponsor of Future Educators of America and Science National Honor Society and Girl Scout leader, Marilyn is an achiever, successfully balancing many different hats.