FAQs

What does the Parents Council of Washington do?

Parents Council of Washington (PCW) fosters communication between and among parents and schools in the Washington DC metro area independent school community by providing parent education programs and events, community forums, and a website. We promote the related efforts and programs of our member schools on our calendar.

What are the benefits of Membership?

Parents Council of Washington provides:

An established and working parent, school and student network for information exchange.

Speakers and programs on critical and timely issues of mutual concern.

Annual networking meetings for Representatives and Parent Association leaders.

PCW website featuring a central calendar of member school events and up-to-date information on current parenting issues. Includes monthly features such as Thoughts From a Head, an article by a member-school headmaster, and Question of the Month, where PCW answers your questions.

Student Leader Breakfast, where each member school sends two upperclassmen to talk candidly and anonymously to the PCW. This information is distilled and disseminated to member schools.

Deans Lunch for Deans of Students of member schools to meet and discuss the issues raised by students at the Student Leader Breakfast.

Best Practices Forums, where member schools tackle the tough issues of the day, sharing ideas and solutions to common problems.

Parent to Parent: Raising Kids in Washington, DC – a comprehensive and unique book published by the PCW, full of information and resources to help guide parents in raising responsible children.

How can I find out more about Parents Council of Washington?

Each of our member schools has a PCW Representative who delivers information about programs and events through the communication channels at his/her school. The list of member schools and representatives is available online. Or, contact PCW at ParentsCouncil@verizon.net.

Which schools are members of Parents Council of Washington?

A complete list of member schools is available.

How do schools become members of Parents Council of Washington?

All independent schools in the Washington DC metropolitan area are welcome and encouraged to become members. Membership information and forms are available online. Please contact us at ParentsCouncil@verizon.net for additional information.

How do parents join Parents Council of Washington?

Independent schools are the members of the PCW, not individual parents. However, parents from member schools are fully part of the school’s membership and are encouraged to attend programs and volunteer. See our get involved page, or contact us at ParentsCouncil@verizon.net for more information. If your school is not a member of PCW, an onlinemembership form is available here.

How can I get actively involved?

As Parents Council is an all-volunteer organization, we have many volunteer opportunities and are always looking for volunteers to work with us. Join a committee, become a school representative by contacting your school’s Parents’ Association, attend our programs or submit a question for our Question of the Month.

What do the representatives do?

The representatives are the vital communication link between their school, parents and PCW. They attend (or send a substitute, when necessary) PCW programs, including the annual orientation program each fall and various networking roundtables throughout the year. They announce PCW programs to the parents of their schools via emails, fliers or school newsletters. They identify people within their member schools to participate in our Best Practices Forums, allowing our member schools to share ideas and solutions to common problems. The Representatives enrich our programs by communicating with PCW about current parental issues within their schools, including upcoming parent education programs. A Community Calendar Content Form is available to submit program information for the PCW calendar.

How are the representatives appointed?

This varies among our member schools. Many representatives are appointed by their Parents’ Association President, others are appointed by their Head of School. Ideally, each school has one or two representatives.