Springfield, Pa. – The author of the Parent’s Ultimate
Education Guide says active parent involvement raises a student’s
academic performance. Yet school
districts have witnessed a steady decline in parent participation. Gone are the days when a mother stayed at
home to raise children and participate in school activities. Parents are happy when they are not called to
the school regarding their son/daughters behavior. Something needs to be done to make parent
involvement in K12 schools a high priority on their list of daily activities.
Parents need more information
about how K12 education is changing. Most parents are not aware of the
financial challenges that school systems are facing. Many schools are
underfunded when compared to school districts within their own states.
Parents can play a role in encouraging their local legislators to get involved
in changing their states school funding formula.
What the educators are saying about parent involvement is
true. Parents who read to their children
early develop children who enjoy reading.
Children are like sponges absorbing new knowledge at a tremendous rate. Today parents are too concerned about keeping
their children entertained. Parents are
great role models for their children’s love for learning. If the majority of the parent’s time is spent
in front of the television then it becomes their child’s main source of
information and learning. A student’s
enthusiasm for learning should begin in the home then spreads to a child’s
school instruction.
Some governors are saying we need more standardized tests to
resolve the student achievement gap.
Parent involvement is an alternative that costs fewer dollars to
implement. The resources that are
allocated for testing could be spent to increase the number of parent leaders
who are in the schools. Some schools are
finding ways to get parent’s involved in the daily activities of their schools. Parents who are involved can learn about instruction
methods that other parents can use in the home.
They are the catalyst to get parents who are not involved to volunteer
for special projects.
Parents sometimes reflect on the bad experiences that they
had when they were in K12 schools.
Student achievement can be raised when parents know that their active
participation will make a difference in their child’s learning capacity. Some parent’s are looking at their child’s
achievement level to see if there are any differences. They need to know more about the benefits of
looking at the value of education from a different perspective. Some parents do not know what a good
education looks like. School
administrators and teachers must continually advocate for increased
communication with parents.
Some parents are raising the bar on their expectations for
their student. They are often interested
in identifying resources that will prepare their child for college. They participate in after school and weekend
programs right along with their child.
They sign up because of their belief that their program will serve us a
link between high school and college.
The United States is steadily
slipping in terms of its edge in graduating students from high schools, trade
schools, and colleges. Starting a
national campaign to help parents to understand their role in student
achievement is a solution whose time has come.
New and innovative organizations are needed. These organizations must take into account
the changing trends in family structures.
Parents are looking for solutions to the achievement gap. The solution lays in a combination of
community and K12 schools working toward alternative education activities which
are easily implemented in the home.
Dr. Stephen Jones is education consultant
author of three books the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide, Seven Secrets of
How to Study and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at http://www.studyskills2u.com or email
stephenjoness@rcn.com.
