Do Schools Want Parent Involvement – or Just Parent Compliance?

For a host of reasons, I’m not a parent myself. That’s why I work so hard to network with and follow tons of thoughtful, experienced parents and how they approach education – at home, the politics of it all, etc. It doesn’t get much more multi-faceted than the parent/school intersection.

We know that parent involvement is an important factor in student and school success. But I’ve always felt that much of what educators describe as parent involvement is really just going along with whatever a teacher or school does. When you’re a cheerleader for the school, you’re a motivated, involved parent who cares deeply about your kid and your community.

When you know something can be done better, or something is flat-out destructive, harmful or even illegal, you’re not an involved parent – you’re an obnoxious muckraking troublemaker who has your own agenda.

Cathy Buyrn has a guest post about this – titled “The Parent Trapped” – at The Daily Riff that resonated with TDR editor CJ Westerberg, whose note is reading as much as the piece itself:

Editor’s Note: This guest post for The Daily Riff resonates with so many stories we’ve heard from parents who are frustrated by the pushback of true parent involvement by the system – which includes administrators and teachers who feel threatened by parents who can intelligently advocate for their child’s best interest, and who may suggest options outside the status quo system. In this case, it is “blended learning.”
We asked Cathy Buyrn to share her experience based upon one Tweet (caught my eye) – how by switching one course in her son’s high school curriculum to an on-line course – changed his wavering learning experience to the positive. An example of a parent taking charge – not a parent trapped. That is “Parent Involvement Redefined”.
This post also serves, indirectly, as an interesting insight into the frustration of the teachers and administrators – some you may find on The Daily Riff – who often experience adverse reactions from fellow teachers and administrators regarding innovative practices that may best serve their students’ interests and achievement.

Cathy, who was a teacher herself, made a change for her son that improved his academic performance markedly. Here’s what it took to get there:

I was left feeling like a stalker mom with no way to access information about my child’s specific struggles in Spanish. I felt trapped by the system.

Suffice it to say that she didn’t receive a lot of cooperation:

I was worried that my advocacy was going to do more damage than good. I was intimidated by the amount of power that they had over my son’s future. I realized very quickly that foreign language
teachers could act as the gatekeepers to college.

I could write a hefty book just recounting all the stories I’ve heard of teachers turning into Little Napoleons whenever they’re challenged. Heck, I was threatened myself multiple times as a student by teachers wielding their gatekeeping abilities as power. And in a couple cases, they won.

All turned out well in the end:

“I feel like there are no surprises. I know what is coming and I can make choices about the best way to prepare myself. It is like it is easier to learn everything without the teacher making all of the decisions.”

These are the words that my 9th grader shared with me when I questioned him about his online Spanish class. These are words that this mother and educator is excited to hear.

Hop over and read Cathy’s story – and while you’re there, subscribe to The Daily Riff.