Parents key to charter success, Sederburg says

OREM — One thing that makes charter schools successful is parental involvement, Utah Valley State College President William A. Sederburg told a group of about 400 charter school educators Tuesday.

And in today's era of "helicopter parents," putting those parents to work is a great idea, said Sederburg, the keynote speaker for a two-day charter school conference at UVSC, which ended Tuesday.

He said that a "helicopter parent" is one who hovers around the school — and it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"It is the decade of the child," he said, noting that some charter schools actually require parents to put in volunteer hours at their children's school. "Parents are very involved with the education of their children."

The event was sponsored jointly by the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools and CharterSTAR, a grant through John Hancock Charter School in Pleasant Grove.

Sederburg said that during UVSC's recent student government elections, he saw parents helping their kids campaign. "A parent was handing out fliers," he said.

It reflects on the new generation, sometimes dubbed the "Millennials." They were born during the time period starting at either 1978 or 1983, and up to 1993 or 1995. They total 75 million, Sederburg said, citing a report, "Who are the Millennials," by Deloitte Consulting.

Parent Paula Beck, whose kids go to the charter school Ranches Academy in Eagle Mountain, said she feels one of the most important aspects of charter schools is the parental involvement.

"It's great to be involved in your child's education," Beck said. "That way you can know what they're learning and see if your child is struggling or needs to be challenged more."

Charter school educators need to encourage students toward higher education, Sederburg said. While higher education is expecting an influx of students soon, numbers of high school students headed to college have dropped in the state, he said.

More than a decade ago 41 percent of 18 to 24 year olds were enrolled in college. That figure has declined to 33 percent, he said, citing "Measuring Up," the national report card on education.

When it comes to having a bachelor's degree, Utah ranks 12th in the nation in the 45 to 64 age group but only 31st in the nation for the 25 to 34 age group, Sederburg said, citing the Utah Foundation.

"The data suggests we have a significant issue," Sederburg said.