Several essays and prominent pieces of journalism have emerged in the last few days regarding what one researcher has called the "parent involvement puzzle." Since we've already discussed how we parents can approach our schools and teachers differently, let's take a look at what experts have to say about the two pieces of the parent involvement puzzle - the parent and the teacher - to learn what it takes to make a good fit.
From the teachers
Educator Ron Clark's piece on CNN.com - "What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents" - hits home for parents and teachers. At the top of the essay, he quotes an award-winning administrator friend, who, upon quitting, said, '"Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."' Instead of being resentful and full of contempt for teachers "whining" (as many of the parent-commenters noted at the end of the article), I think parents should drop back for a moment, and perhaps consider a comment like this a red flag. As a group, are we becoming so difficult to deal with that teachers are actually looking to drop our children like hot potatoes and do something else? According to Clark, yes - the average life-span of a teaching career in this country is 4.5 years. While that onus is not entirely on us, we should acknowledge our part in how schools are failing us. If we don't support the teachers in their teaching, how well could we expect the kids to perform?
But supporting our teachers requires that we change our thoughts, at least those thoughts floated to us in politics and the media, about the American teacher. How they have a cushy life; they have summers off and the country's strongest union to hide behind; how they should just be "good" teachers when many go without any support, without supplies, enrichment, or development; how they should be required to "earn" our respect without first gaining the respect of the students. How would you feel if you were treated that way in your job? How excited would you be to get up each morning and go to work?
Clark says, "...we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer." He also asks parents to "to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible."
I think this is salient and pertinent advice. Ultimately, parents and teachers are partners; if we were smart parents, we would listen.
For the parents
For a practical outline on increasing parent and community involvement at school, take a look at an interview with author and Senior Consultant at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform Anne T. Henderson, "Solving the Parent Involvement Puzzle." Henderson says that teachers are ill-prepared in their educations and student teaching for dealing with parents and encouraging them to get involved. She notes, "When I ask educators how many have had good preparation for working with families while they were training to become a teacher, I might get one or two hands in a room of 100 people." This should be changed; dealing with parents and families is the bedside manner of the teaching profession, and colleges and schools should respond accordingly.
Henderson cites a study by Tony Byrk published last year that found five essential ingredients for the improvement in certain Chicago public schools. While all ingredients were important, those schools that had strong "family and community ties," regardless of anything else, were four times more likely to improve in reading and up to ten times more likely to improve in math.
But while parent involvement appears to be the golden ticket, achieving it can be easier said than done.
Henderson suggests home visits by the teacher in order to get to know the parents and build a one-on-one relationship; she counsels teachers to start with something positive and don't let the visit become an information dump on the student. (She also believes teachers get paid for these visits.) Instead, the visit should start with how the parent thinks the child is doing and end with exchanging phone numbers and email addresses. She also includes information on how to include immigrant families in engagement and how to address the needs of students from poor and underserved backgrounds.
Henderson rightly sees the plight of many parents in a world that's no longer, as she calls it, Leave it to Beaver: "Too often when parents don’t show up for events or conferences, we think, “Oh, they must not care about their child’s education.” But if their child is bused in from a distant neighborhood, how can the parents get there for a conference? Send buses for school events. Also, arrange for child care. If there’s no child care, how can a hardworking single parent come in with two or three small children on Back to School Night? Never assume the worst."
Both parents and teachers can make strides to improve the bond between them, which then in turn improves the child's education. So before we worry about the large, looming, and complex "American Education Reform," let's try just changing how we think. How can teachers respect parents' time and situations in order to get them involved? And how can parents respect teachers in order to build a healthy relationship? These thoughts, correctly implemented in today's schools, might be the first step toward real education reform.
Recent Comments