Rogers High Parents Form Resource Center

Educators have said for years that many kids’ learning difficulties start with problems at home.

A group of Rogers High parents has formed to help families better prepare children for success at school by helping them to resolve conflict and connect with community services.

“We want to take away anything that prevents kids from learning,” said Ruth Dearing, coordinator of the Rogers Parent Communication and Resource Center.

The resource center’s office in the Rogers counseling center reflects the program’s infancy. A dry-write board still sits in cellophane wrapping. But Dearing and Rogers principal Wallace Williams have a grand vision: an information clearinghouse for parents of all Rogers students, as well as students at all elementary and middle schools that feed into Rogers.

That will likely include information about their kids’ education and continuing education options for the parents themselves, social services such as counseling, and even work postings.

“A lot of people sit in their house and don’t know where to go,” said Dearing. “We want to change that.”

An underlying purpose is to change the perception of public schools. “The contact (parents have with school) is often so negative,” said Dearing. “We want to give people a reason to be in the school and be a real partner with the school.”

School administrators are enthusiastic. “The thing I want to stress is this is coming from the parents,” said Williams. “We totally support this.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Need information? For more information about the Rogers Parent Communication and Resource Center, call 353-4540.