Schools Either Want Parents or They Don’t

Parents and schools make for strange bed partners.

Parents want the best for their children, and most entrust their most prized possessions to a public school system that says it is committed to making that young person into a strong and smart citizen.

Schools say they want parent involvement, but most want parents to do what the school wants them to do, when they want it done.

Most schools want a child’s education to happen on their terms, and not the parents’.

Schools and school districts are notorious for telling parents they want mom’s and dad’s, and significant others, to be a part of the decision-making process – for both the individual student and the directional course at large.

Witness the latest parent involvement strategy from the state of Vermont. Vermont Digger reported before Christmas that,

“Vermont’s Agency of Education is convening a standing body of parents and guardians to advise officials on school matters, officials announced…”

“The group, called the Family Engagement Council, will advise Vermont Secretary of Education Dan French on state policy and ‘topics of interest to parents in Vermont…’”

“’We have partners representing almost every other group in education,’ French said in [a] press release. ‘From superintendents and school board members, to educators, school counselors and facilities managers, we have groups organized to provide a voice for their members at the state and local level. There is no organization providing a similar voice for parents.’”

“Several other states have established similar parent or family councils. Vermont’s announcement also comes roughly six months after the federal Department of Education announced the creation of the National Parents and Families Engagement Council.”

“Vermont’s group will begin its work by focusing on education quality and equity, according to the agency. Members will discuss the definition of a high-quality education, and how to make it accessible for all Vermont students.”

“French will appoint 10 to 15 parents or guardians to two-year terms on the council. The application is open to parents of homeschooled children as well.”

“’To the extent possible, the membership of the council will represent the State’s geographic, gender, socio-economic, racial and ethnic diversity,’ the agency said in its press release.”

I guess Vermont, and other states, are to be congratulated for forming groups like this. But I can’t be too congratulatory based on how these groups have been received by schools and school districts in the past.

My 30 years in and around public education tells me that school districts often form these parent groups to “check a box,” and letting everyone know that parents (or other groups) are at the table.

The problem I saw over and over again was that, even though parents were at the table, schools and school districts did very little to make the change parents wanted to see.

School districts, from the school board down, believe it is their professional duty to make decisions that are in the best interest of the district – not necessarily children, or the parents of those children.

Often parents and others are called to the table, only to learn that the school or district intends to ignore their input to do what is politically expedient to do.

I know it’s tough to read this, but my experience tells me it’s truth.

And I don’t know if schools or school districts will ever be able to properly listen to their constituents. Most are too interested in image, politics, and test scores.

If parents, and others, really want input to decisions impacting learning, then a new system is probably required to be created. This system would be designed at a smaller scale, allowing parents to have direct access and influence on the adult learning leaders responsible for their children’s learning. The new system might be created to allow for adult learning leaders to be directly responsible to a group of parents and their young learners for the young learner’s success in building reading, writing, problem-solving, and character skills, along with other interests.

It’s a very different system for sure. But if the new system can legitimately involve parents in their children’s learning, then isn’t it worth looking at moving forward? I think so, and I’m sure millions of homeschoolers, learning pod parents, and micro-school fans would agree.

Til tomorrow. SVB