The idea that parents should be more involved in the education of their children is a recommendation that has long been doled out.

But now the government is calling on parents to jump into the fray and help design an accountability plan for their local schools at a town hall meeting. The event is from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 30 at 1500 West 4th St. with a reception beforehand at 5:30 p.m.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA, was signed into law in December 2015 and requires that stakeholders be involved in designing the way that schools are graded by the government. Stakeholders are members of the community that have a stake in the success of a school. 

The Arkansas Education Association's president, Brenda Robinson, knows firsthand the difference that community involvement makes in schools. As a teacher she experienced an influx of community support.

"It did a world of difference, because we were all working together to say, 'how can we help support them?' Or as educators, we know we need more professional development," Robinson says. "So when we started inviting those community partners to come in with us; they were there to help read to the kids, to help with math problems and we all just came together."

With renewed focus on community involvement and emphasis on more than test scores, Robinson says that students can be graded on how much they grow. Parents are invited to give their ideas on how the schools should serve children at the town hall meeting.

For more information about the town hall meeting or to register, visit the AEA's website.