A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                              Contact:  Diane B. Jones    December 11, 1995                                  (202) 401-3725

CEOs, Education Secretary Endorse Employer Promise; Kick Off National Drive for Family-Friendly Policies

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and business leaders today announced the kick off of an Employer Promise for Learning. At a ceremony at Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda, Md., the business leaders joined the Secretary in signing the Employer Promise which commits their companies to family-friendly practices and partnerships to support children's learning.

Riley applauded the efforts of the employers for their commitment to promoting family involvement in learning. "In this effort, good citizenship and good business sense converge," Riley said. "These business leaders understand that being family friendly is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. It can help an employer recruit and keep top workers, improve productivity, and increase employee motivation and loyalty. It is one of the best investments an employer can make in the future."

Family-friendly employers actively promote family involvement in learning by allowing time for employees to get involved in schools; initiating, implementing and supporting specific programs that promote family involvement in education; and providing resources to employees about how to become more involved in their own children's education. Employers decide independently what policies and practices they will follow.

Examples of family-friendly efforts include:

Marriott's Parent Resource Center and parenting information series which provide employees with expert information on parenting, child care and work/family issues;
GTE Corporation's "College Planning Seminar for Employees and their Families," a day-long, interactive seminar transmitted via satellite linking college admissions and financial planning experts with GTE employee families to help them plan for their children s college education;
Pizza Hut's "Kids Hall of Fame" program which rewards children ages 8-14, who make a difference in their family and community, with post-secondary scholarships;
the U.S. Army's partnership between Fort Hood's First Cavalry Division and the Killeen Independent School District which incorporates parent/teacher conferences as part of military duty for all soldiers with children;
Hemmings Motor News "Education Participation Days," which allow all employees, not just parents, two days off with pay in half-day increments to attend classes with children in local schools;
School Specialty's matching funds program which matches up to $1,000 donated by an employee to any public or private K-12 school;
John Hancock sponsors educational activities for children during school vacations and holidays;
Hewlett-Packard's flexible work hours that allow employees to stagger their start time to accommodate their children's schedules and volunteer at the corporation's on-site elementary school;
American College Testing's "Realizing the Dream" program which provides a workshop and resources to involve parents in their teenagers' educational and career planning;
Paragon Furniture's incentive program to reward students who achieve high grades, or improve their grades, for each report card period.

A committee of employers developed the Employer Promise for Learning to formalize their commitment to family-friendly policies. They, in turn, will use the promise and additional recruitment materials to encourage other employers to incorporate family-friendly policies for learning into their corporate culture. The promise is one way to help achieve the 8th National Education Goal -- by the year 2000 every school will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional and academic growth of children.

J.W. Marriott, Jr., president and CEO of Marriott International, joined Riley in welcoming Charles Lee, chairman and CEO of GTE Corporation; Allan Huston, president and CEO of Pizza Hut Corp.; the Honorable Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary of the Army; Terry Ehrich, CEO of Hemmings Motor News; Daniel Spalding, president of School Specialty, and John Lewis, president of Paragon Furniture, to the signing. Senior management representatives from John Hancock Financial Services, Hewlett-Packard American College Testing and United Airlines were also in attendance.

Other employers who support the promise include Southern California Edison, Motorola, Walt Disney World Co., and Turner Educational Services.

The Employer Promise for Learning is an initiative of the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning, an informal coalition of more than 170 national organizations who promote children's learning through the development of family-school- community partnerships. For more information about the Employer Promise for Learning and other Family Involvement Partnership for Learning initiatives, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.