State PIRC Board:

Julie McCargar, State Federal Programs Director/Title I Director, TN Department of Education
Elizabeth Roper, Director, Family and Community Engagement, TN Department of Education
Jamie Kilpatrick, Director, Office of Early Childhood, TN Department of Education
Mary Rolando, Policy Analyst, Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination
Kathy Strunk, Director, State Improvement Grant, TN Department of Education
Bobbi Lussier, Executive Director, Office of Early Learning, TN Department of Education
Jan Bushing, Director, School Based Supports, TN Department of Education
Barbara Clinton, Director, Center for Health Studies, Vanderbilt University
Pamela Sessions, Executive Vice-President, Porter-Leath Child Center, Memphis, TN
Gwen Cook-Price, Manager, Early Childhood Visitation Program, Porter-Leath Child Center, Memphis, TN
Evelyn Pelletier, President, Tennessee PTA
Cindy Dearing, President-Elect, Tennessee PTA
Barbara Barton, University of Tennessee, College of Social Work, Office of Research & Public Policy
Gail Myers, University of Tennessee, College of Social Work, Office of Research & Public Policy
Kathleen Hoover Dempsey, Chair/Associate Professor, Dept of Psychology & Human Development, Vanderbilt University
Lola Bolden, Director, Division of Parental Involvement and Family Supports, Memphis City Schools
Peggy Johnson, Parent Support Coordinator, Memphis City Schools
Charlotte Bryson, Executive Director, Tennessee Voices for Children
Matt Timm, Director, Early Childhood Programs, Tennessee Voices for Children
Millie Sweeney, Assistant Director for Programs, Tennessee Voices for Children
Monica Causey, Tennessee Parent Information and Resource Center Project Director, Tennessee Voices for Children

Special Advisory Committees:

East Tennessee Regional TPIRC Advisory Committee
Middle Tennessee Regional TPIRC Advisory Committee
West Tennessee Regional TPIRC Advisory Committee

Each committee will include members of LEAs in each region and parents from each region and will provide information and input to the statewide TPIRC program board.

The purpose of the Tennessee Parent Information and Resource Center Program (TPIRC) is to provide collaboration, training, and consultation resources to parents and schools across the state of Tennessee serving families who are economically and/or educationally disadvantaged.

Parental Engagement Model
TPIRC will use the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) model to increase parental involvement and participation in school improvement plans within Title 1 schools and high priority systems.

Early Childhood Model
In collaboration with established early childhood programs including Tennessee Early Intervention Services and Parents as Teachers, TPIRC will use the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW and Home Instruction for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY models to increase child school readiness skills and prepare parents for increased school participation and involvement.

Major Activities
TPIRC is partnering with the State Department of Education to identify and prioritize those counties and school systems in which children from birth to grade 12 are at particular risk for decreased school readiness and academic performance. TPIRC staff will work with schools, parents, and community groups to identify and implement effective strategies to increase student academic achievement, parental awareness of rights and responsibilities, and meaningful parent involvement in school decision-making. It is especially important that parents and community members have a thorough understanding of expectations and requirements currently placed on school systems by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.