The pride was evident in their words, then later on their faces. For many, it was their first commencement of any kind. And for the graduates of PIQE — the Parent Institute for Quality Education — that pride was shared with their children, who watched their mothers and fathers walk across the stage to receive their certificates. At Spring Woods Middle School last Thursday, 180 graduates celebrated the end of the nine-week course designed to empower parents to take an active role in their children’s education. At Spring Woods High School the previous Monday, 175 parents graduated.

The Spring Woods Middle and Spring Woods High PIQE programs are the first in Texas, started here after 23 successful years in California and a handful of other states. And Spring Woods Middle School was particularly singled out by PIQE Executive Director Lydia Junek, who said that principal Cynthia Chai was the first principal in Spring Branch ISD to say she wanted PIQE in her school. Course graduates spoke both to the audience and to their children, many who were in the audience.

“I want to tell my daughters that we have to stay on the right path,” said graduate Maria Guerrero. “No excuses — yes we can.”