August 28, 2006

 

BURLINGAME - Kids asking for study help at home and parents vowing to make family involvement in their children's learning their top resolutions for the "new school year" are part of an innovative, statewide radio and print advertising campaign being launched Monday by the California Teachers Association.

 

In one playful radio ad, kids ask family members to be their "study buddies" at home. The spot takes a rhyming approach to touting learning tips, with children chanting: "School is back, so listen, buddy. We have tips to help us study. Things to do right in your home. To help us learn until we've grown."

 

Children continue chanting in the ad: "A quiet space, now that's the rule, if you want your kids to shine in school. Kids need help to study up. We need a hand, so buddy up!"

 

"This new school year is a good time to remember that when parents, teachers and children work together, everyone wins," CTA President Barbara E. Kerr says in the same radio ad. "Thank you for doing your part."

 

Parents in another radio ad offer their resolutions for the new school year. "My resolution is to get closer to my kids by keeping track of how they're doing in class," one parent says. Another promises, "This year, we'll have regular homework hours, right after dinner." One parent confides about helping her son: "My resolution is to not let his sister blast tunes when he's trying to study."

 

Kerr said the radio ads and print ads in ethnic newspapers all stress that "when families and teachers work together, students succeed." The radio ads start airing Monday for four weeks on more than 85 radio stations in every media market across the state, including Spanish- and Asian-language stations. The campaign's print ads will appear in nearly 50 ethnic newspapers, including African American, Spanish, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino and Thai publications.

 

CTA Vice President David A. Sanchez reminds listeners in one of the Spanish radio ads: "A los alumnos de todas las edades y en todos los grados les va mejor en la escuela cuando toda la familia pone de su parte." ("Students of all ages and grade levels do better when their family is involved.")

 

Listen to the radio ads and learning tips for families online.

 

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