(Vol. 1, No. 1 - Fall 1996)
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With This Much Agreement, Why is
Parent/Teacher Cooperation So Elusive?
Look at Joel Pett's cartoon about parent/school
relationships
Last March, to help kick off its campaign to make academic standards the
centerpiece of middle school teaching and learning, the Long Beach Unified
School District invited parents, teachers and community representatives
to share their opinions about good schools at a "Middle Matters"
conference.
After brainstorming together, more than 100 people wrote down their ideas
- which the district shared with us. Here's what we found when we read through
them.
- Most parents and many teachers made fair, even enforcement of discipline
and uniform policies a top priority. "Where that is happening, kids'
experiences in school are improving," one teacher wrote.
- Teachers and parents agree that parents need to accept more responsibility
for children's learning.
- But while teachers say parents need to be more supportive of the school,
many parents point out that schools do not always welcome parents or find
useful things for them to do.
- Although most parents were hearing about the district's new emphasis
on standards for the first time, they generally express strong support for
the idea. Many parents believe teachers need to do more to engage students
and get them excited about learning, and many teachers at the conference
acknowledged that some of their peers need to broaden their teaching strategies.
- Parents aren't sure that teachers are well-prepared to cope with students
from different cultures. They emphasize the need to "be respectful
of each student and his or her background," as one parent put it. Many
teachers agreed.
- Teachers stressed the need for more time to sharpen their skills by
coaching each other and sharing ideas. "Why not a school year with
every Friday for staff development?" asked one teacher. Teachers also
asked for more guidance in how to meet content standards.
- Both teachers and parents saw a need to give administrators more options
to deal with disruptive students, including counseling and therapy.
- Many parents expressed some resentment about the way they're treated
by teachers and schools. "Lead, don't preach," wrote one. "I
would like parents to not be dismissed by school secretaries and teachers
so that they feel important to the process," said another. "I
just want teachers and parents to treat each other as partners," said
a third. 'Why is that so hard?"
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