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I was just reading the comments on the Ted Kennedy & parental involvement thread (guffawed over this one from Steve: Darn those pesky tests that check only for an absolute minimum of knowledge and skills).
I've been wondering about something since I read Kennedy's op-ed.
What is going on with the whole "parent involvement" meme anyway? Why is it there? What makes it so important that Ted Kennedy would bring it up? To whom is he speaking?
As I understand it, NCLB was the result of a lot of horse-trading back and forth between Dems & Republicans.
So is it correct to conclude that the parent involvement section of the law originated in one party and not the other?
And, if so, which party?
Or is this one of those t.s. for the voters issues on which the two parties see eye to eye?
In short: what is "[NCLB] doesn't involve parents enough in helping their children succeed" doing in the middle of a Ted Kennedy op-ed in the Washington Post?
I need a magic decoder ring.
meanwhile, back on the ranch
Most parents have no clue that parent involvement is a current edu-world obsession. I didn't know it, either, until Vicky S pointed it out to me one day.
My own school district includes a line in its job ads saying we "welcome parent involvement." Every one of our ads announces this, along with "equal opportunity employer" or however it's phrased these days.
We are so keen on parent involvement that the middle school is now in its second year of deliberations over the question of how to increase parent involvement in the school. So far all they've come up with is that a couple of parents will be allowed to go along on the one field trip they have each year.
We aren't allowed inside the classrooms; we aren't allowed inside the school dances; we aren't allowed to attend school assemblies; by union contract teachers don't hold parent-teacher conferences; email responses are spotty at best; the principal has refused to share requested documents on the middle school model; the math chair refuses to give parents of "struggling" students the answer key so they can have their kids to do extra problems; both of the middle school principals we've had in our 3 years here have cautioned parents on their language and attitudes; numerous parent protests over repeated use of group punishments have been ignored; etc., etc.
But the district still can't figure out a way to foster parent involvement in the middle school.
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9 comments:
So we need more parent involvement.
Nevertheless, I'm reading studies and teacher comments that express how parents cause teachers stress because they are, it seems, over-involved. And then you have those pesky parents that actually want a copy of the answers to the algebra homework so that they can help with homework.
My district's idea of parent involvement is working in the publishing center, volunterring for lunch duty, cutting out various shapes of construction paper, sending in stuff for parties, paying for field trips and books, and donating clorox wipes, scotch tape, watercolors, and kleenex. If I want to be more involved than that, I'm a helicopter parent.
Ummmm. I don't get it.
The Ted Kennedy blurb had to be a bone tossed to the teachers unions. That's the only rational explanation -- I prefer the irrational explanations, but I digress.
Anyway, the teachers like to see the "NCLB doesn't involve parents" line -- it gets them off the hook. See, if it weren't for NCLB, parents could be more involved and students would do better, and they'd pass those pesky tests. See it isn't poor teaching and curriculum -- its NCLB's obstacles to parent involvement.
Parental involvement is non-specific. It can mean a wide range of things, like tying shoelaces or responding to discipline issues, or stressing effort. It's a mistake to view PI solely from a middle-class perpective. There is a whole other world out there. In the inner city that other world predominates. With specifics, PI can become meaningful and necessary.
Without specifying what PI means, the phrase is as vacuous as all that drivel about "change" coming from the presidential candidates. "Change" without specifics is meaningless.
So what do you think it means?
That's what I'm asking --- I can only guess, and my guess is Lynn's guess, i.e. I'm guessing this is a variant on the idea of the home being a problem.
But I really don't know.
I posted a quote from this post here and got this comment from Chuck Amodeo, Ed.D.:
There are many ways schools subtly and not so subtly keep parents out of schools. They might want to read NCLB section 1118e about the requirements of the law.
Chuck and Su Amadeo run Lighthouse Education, focussing on improving parent involvement in schools.
The most recent post is aimed at schools and is called Seven Reasons Your Parent Involvement Program is in the Basement.
oh that looks fun!
wow -- the entire list is true of the middle school
PI is district dependent. The BLT (bulding leadership team - I wonder if all public schools in NY have a BLT??) is tasked with improving PI here. PI has been spelled out for us:
1) parent assures that student arrives at school early enough to get to homeroom prepared w/materials for first period, not tardy to homeroom (in other words, don't drop your kid off while the late bell is ringing and claim it is the school's or crossing guard's fault because the drop off line was so long)
2) student has breakfast and lunch arrangements
3) student has and wears appropriate clothing
4) student has place to complete homework w/appropriate supplies & parental attitude is such that h.w. is done rather than ignored
5) parents set high goals for students and reinforce proper behavior, self-respect, and respect for others (in other words, the SAVE legislation is in use and the police work with the district, so plan on alternative high school if your student can't refrain from assault/drug dealing while he is on campus
PTA participation is encouraged.
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