In the constant debate about education, the voices of parents and community members are often forgotten and overlooked. In A Parent's POWER, Sylvia P. Simms shares the importance of parent involvement in the schooling of children and the essential role community plays in education. Through her experience as a student in North Philadelphia, to her time on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, to her experience as a visitor to New Orleans right as Hurricane Katrina hit, and ultimately her creation of the "PARENT POWER" organization, Sylvia shares an honest, unflinching experience of what it is like to try and create change in our education system. This book is a call to action for every teacher, administrator, school staff member, parent, and community member to more closely examine whose voices we are including in our conversations on education-and whose voices we need to include.

What People Are Saying

Millions didn't make it, but because of PARENT POWER I was one of the parents that was able to assist my children and others children in becoming productive citizens. Thank you Big Syl."

-Cecil Parsley, Member, PARENT POWER

"Everyone who works in urban schools needs to read this powerful memoir spoken into existence by one of Philadelphia's most influential community activist for quality education. Simm's voice is clear and direct. Her message is undeniable: community and family voices in schools is too often drowned out by policy, procedures and politics and it is at the peril of the very students that our schools have been created to serve."

-James Earl Davis, Bernard C. Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education, Professor of Higher Education, Temple University

"I learned a lot working with Sylvia starting with the Title I Committee and then PARENT POWER. But as much as I learned as I negotiated my own way, I learned more by watching Sylvia. As Sylvia would say "We don't know what we don't know". Thank you, Sylvia, for forging ahead and setting an example even when the path was rarely clear or straightforward."

-Jay Cohen, Member, PARENT POWER, Founder and Executive Director, xSoTec, LLC

"As we walk in the path aligned to Divine order, there are victories and valleys. There are opportunities to teach and opportunities to learn. Sylvia Simms, living in her purpose, captured a testimony, sharing her experiences to ignite the awareness of others, for the benefit of our community."

-Malika Savoy, Deputy Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer Allentown School District, Former Chief Academic, Support Officer School District of Philadelphia