Archive for the 'Parent Involvement in Schools' Category

Family and Education Report (1987) – Part 3

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 20, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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In 1984, The BC Council on the Family was again called to action on education. A concern surfaced about home-school relations when a brief was circulated among board members which expressed the long-standing concerns of an ex-school trustee of 13 years. The brief was sent to the Council because of its declared support for the institution of the family.
Essentially, the brief expressed concern that through the medium of the authorized curriculum and textbooks, B.C.’s children may be inculcated with attitudes that may weaken family stability, either by challenging parental authority or by down-playing the importance of the family in the social structure of the community. Questions were raised as to how curriculum was developed and to what extent parents were informed or involved in curriculum decision-making and school information generally.
Board members (who represent all regions of the province) were canvassed about their reactions to the paper. Because of the seriousness of the concerns and particularly, the shared concern of many board members about the lack of knowledge about what is taught in schools, a committee was struck in the Spring of 1985, the Family and Education Committee, to examine how the family is portrayed in the curriculum and how the family is treated in home-school relationships.
 
The Terms of Reference for the Committee were:

I.                   Cognizant of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, Section 3, that

 Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given their children
The Committee will pursue their task, keeping in mind two fundamental principles which flow from the above declaration:
 

a)      the right to information, and

b)     the right to family privacy.

     II.                The purpose of the study shall be:
 

a)      to inquire into the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards the family as an institution.

b)     to inquire into the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards parental authority:

i) in the home

ii) in the child’s school concerning the child’s participation in school activities and choices among school courses,

c)     to inquire into the attitudes and practices of schools towards parents when they ask questions concerning their children’s’ courses of study, curriculum content, progress, behavior, etc.,

d)     to make recommendations concerning the need, and the ways and means, of encouraging parents everywhere to become knowledgeable about their schools and what is being taught,

e)      to make recommendations concerning mechanisms for obtaining parental input into curriculum decisions and choices of books and other authorized materials,

f)       to undertake an initial study of identified curriculum materials where concerns have been expressed, or as the committee so decides,

g)      to consider the multicultural dimension in BC in the study and recommendations,

h)     to inquire of the Ministry of Education on any matter that is pertinent to the development and selection of curriculum,

i)       to inquire concerning any other matter that the Council deems pertinent in the interests of families and education,

     III.    The public education system, for the purposes of this study, includes all programs over which the Ministry of Education provides oversight, that is, public, private and independent schools, and correspondence courses.
 

This study is to concentrate on programs of a mass education nature and excludes counseling situations between teachers and students.

 

Family and Education Report (1987) –Part 2

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 20, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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A workshop on Education and the Family found delegates again expressing “frustration with the state of parent-school relations in many of their schools”.

Continuing to post the 1987 Report on Family and Education (See Part 1, 19 Oct/07)…

 

The 1979 Annual General Meeting of the BC Council for the Family held five workshops for its members, one of these being Education and the Family. It was at this workshop that delegates again expressed frustration with the state of parent-school relations in many of their schools, and a recommendation was forwarded to the Executive suggesting some follow-up to the idea of promoting parent-school committees.

 The follow-up took two forms: 

1)  A letter was sent, via the B.C. School Trustees Association, to all School Boards, requesting development of policies supporting parent-school committees and back-up support to reinforce these policies. The need to reinforce family values was stressed. Reference was made in the letter to 

…studies under the auspices of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and other agencies establish beyond doubt the overwhelming influence of home and community background on personal and educational success in children.”

2)  A survey was undertaken of all 75 school boards to determine the current status and attitudes toward parent-school committees in BC. The survey results (1980) showed that only 25% of the school boards in BC had policies supporting the concept, but only 16% had both policies and back-up support. 

Eight school boards indicated an intention to develop such policies. Twelve boards indicated no policies or interest in the concept. 36 school boards did not respond. Two of the negative comments were:

 …there appears to be no correlation between schools with good communication and those with parent-school committees.”
 Not necessary at this time.”
 One Secretary-Treasurer was directed by the board to acknowledge receipt of the letter but

…the enclosed questionnaire neither be completed nor returned.”

 The report, Parent-School Committees in B.C., August 1980 concluded that
 …official endorsation and support by a school board sets a framework of valuing parent-school collaboration, and recognizes that effort is required to sustain good communication.”
 Given the results of the survey, the report commented that 

…it is not hard to see why Council members feel frustrated with respect to home-school communication. Knowing that good home-school communication helps strengthen family competencies in a wide range of ways, including education and socialization of children, the BC Council for the Family should continue lending support and encouragement to establishing and maintaining parent-school committees in BC.” 

The Council disseminated the report widely and sent copies to the Ministry of Education and all school boards in the Province.

In the continuing pursuit of family enhancement generally, and in particular in relation to education, the BC Council for the Family published (amongst its many publications) pamphlets such as: Family Role in Education, Education and the Handicapped Child, and Notes for Parents.

 

Family and Education Report (1987) - Part 1

Published
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Tunya Audain
on October 19, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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At the Conference on the Family (BC, Canada) 1976, considerable attention was focused on the alienating effect public schools were felt to have on families and the potential (but often unused) power they had to help strengthen family competencies.

The Family and Education Committee was struck to examine these concerns and issues and make recommendations. Following is the Interim Report, 1987. I was a member of that Committee.

Family and Education Committee, Interim Report, 1987 

The history of this committee really goes back to 1975 when the groundwork was laid for the B C Council for the Family. The rationale for the eventual formation of the Council was the concern that

 …lying at the root of many current social problems was the plight of the family.”
and that a process was required to

…examine the issues affecting family life in this province and to recommend to the public and to the various levels of government policies that will diminish the difficulties and enhance the opportunities for a healthy and happy family life.”

At the Conference on the Family, 1976, considerable attention was focused on the alienating effect public schools were felt to have on families and the potential (but often unused) power they had to help strengthen family competencies. (Other agencies receiving similar scrutiny were the church, government, medical, and legal institutions.) Of the 94 recommendations generated by the Conference, more dealt with education than any other issue. The study, Family Needs in B.C., done in conjunction with the start-up of the Council, reported that

Most parents are concerned about the welfare of their children in school, and their own involvement in the overall process of education. However, not all parents felt that their views were really welcome or appreciated.”

 
(More of the Report follows in subsequent posts.)

 

Resistance to Meaningful Parent Involvement

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on October 19, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools and The Literature
. 1 Comment

Why is there Resistance to Meaningful Parent Involvement?

 “There are many compelling reasons for schools and districts to pay more than lip service to parental involvement,” said reporter, Katherine Wagner, in her column School Watch in the Maple Ridge and Pitt meadows Times, August 31, 2007.

Her article, entitled “PAC is more than just fundraising” (PAC: Parent Advisory Council) describes six levels of parent involvement. While research wholeheartedly supports the value of meaningful parent involvement, Wagner’s article points out that “stakeholders are often reading from different dictionaries when defining the term parent involvement.”

Despite the obvious benefits, “resistance” and “barriers” still exist. For example, her article points out that her school district #42 has not yet decided to include parent involvement in its mission, vision and value statements. A local trustee, Stepan Vdovine,  commented:

 There are still some parents who continue to struggle for a more meaningful involvement and in some cases for simply decent and fair treatment.”

 

Dear Reader:  Please see my Comment attached to this post for an article I did 28 years ago on this topic.  TA

 

Why are Parents Excluded from Schools?

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on September 30, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
. 1 Comment

Why are Parents Excluded from Schools?

Some reasons parents are excluded from schools are:

  1. Misdirected “Professionalism” – experts know best, “Don’t teach your children, we will have to unteach them.”
  2. Concealment – having a captive audience and a monopoly provides a cover for bureaucratic excesses and little accountability
  3. Political Agendas – a) Maybe the Capitalists are preparing obedient, regimented workers for factories, or  b) Maybe the Socialists are preparing compliant social beings who depend on the collective and are peer dependent, or c) Maybe Radicals want to use schools as vehicles for various reforms: to end racism, sexism or to provide sex education, peace education…..
 Such were some reasons for parent exclusion discussed at a meeting of conservatives, April 24, 1985 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. As a long-time parent advocate, I was asked to give the lead address to start the ball rolling. Present practices plus future policy directions were discussed.

Consequences of leaving the consumer (parents) out of decision-making were serious: dissatisfied parents and public, accountability is questionable, special needs students are damaged when parents cannot advocate on their behalf. 

 Improvements could be achieved through Competition, Alternatives and Choice. School-based decision-making could be adopted as means to provide relevancy and to include parents. Reform of education finance should see the education dollar follow the student through vouchers or tax credits and paid directly to the schools, not school boards.

School systems run by the education establishment were increasingly being seen as inefficient and ineffective. The words of Milton Friedman were recalled when he described the school systems as a Tyranny of the Status Quo, run by a troika of bureaucrats, educators, and politicians.

Have things changed much in 2007, even with mandated Parent Advisory Councils in BC  public schools?

 

 

 

Effective Schools Needed to Counteract Poverty

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on September 17, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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Recently, the teachings of Ruby Payne have surfaced on how to reach the "hard-to-reach", mainly poor kids in schools.  Below is my reply to this discussion:

 

Don’t blame the family, the kids, the neighborhood, the class system…..

If we want effective schools, let’s look at the schools.

In 1978, Ron Edmonds of Harvard University Grad School of Education put the term "Effective Schools" on the map with his speech, "Some Schools Work and More Can".

"We can, whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us.
"We already know more than we need, in order to do this.
"Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.

His Checklist for Effective Schools:
1. Instructional Leadership - Principal an effective communicator, effective supervisor, the instructional leader.
2. Focused School Mission - General consensus by school community on goals, priorities, assessment, accountability. Mission statement specified and reviewed periodically.
3. Orderly Environment - Purposeful atmosphere, not oppressive, and is conducive to teaching/learning.
4. High Expectations - for students and staff. The belief is that students are capable and able to achieve: that teachers are capable and not powerless to make a difference.
5. Mastery of Basic Skills - In particular, basic reading, writing and math skills are emphasized with back-up alternatives available for students with special learning needs.
6. Frequent Monitoring of Results - Existence of a) means to monitor student progress in relationship to instructional objectives (with results easily conveyed to parents); b) means to monitor teacher effectiveness; and c) a system of monitoring school goals.
7. Meaningful Parent Involvement - Parents are kept well-informed re: programs, goals, etc. There is ample opportunity for them to keep in touch with their child’s progress. They are consulted for feedback about the school and when changes are foreseen. Parent-initiated contact with the school encouraged.
8. Avoidance of Pitfalls - Up-to-date awareness of good educational practice plus retaining currency in the field concerning promising and discredited practices. One of the cardinal characteristics of effective schools is that they are as anxious to avoid things that don’t work as they are committed to implementing things that do.

Reference: Social Policy, Mar/Ap’79, Ron Edmonds, "Some Schools Work and More Can"

Folks: That was 1978! How many casualties since? Why are we still re-inventing the wheel?

Tunya Audain

[Posted to Education Consumers Clearinghouse, Sept 17, 2007]

 

Parent Satisfaction Index

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on August 22, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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Parent Satisfaction Index                                           

Parent Advisory Councils can use this questionnaire to gather information and as a basis for seeking improvements during school discussions. Feel free to change the questions to serve your specific needs.

SA – Strongly Agree    A – Agree        N – Don’t know, not applicable     D – Disagree    SD – Strongly Disagree

 

   (First 10 items about satisfaction with school, next 10 about state of communications)
SA
A
N
D
SD
 
5
3
0
-3
-5

1. My child likes this school
 
 
 
 
 

2. He/she is getting the right programs & attention
 
 
 
 
 

3. He/she is reading at a level sufficient to keep up to class
 
 
 
 
 

4, Discipline is fair and consistent
 
 
 
 
 

5. There is good effort to help students be kind, thoughtful, co-operative
 
 
 
 
 

6. The principal knows most children & families
 
 
 
 
 

7. Most at the school act as a team, consistent on discipline, programming, school spirit
 
 
 
 
 

8. There is a sense of purpose about this school
 
 
 
 
 

9. My child feels comfortable to talk about this school
 
 
 
 
 

10.  My child will be well-prepared for the next level of education or training
 
 
 
 
 

11. The school keeps me well informed about my child’s progress or problems
 
 
 
 
 

12. Homework is relevant. I have a good idea of what is to be accomplished
 
 
 
 
 

13. The Philosophy/Mission of the school is clear to the parents
 
 
 
 
 

14. Newsletters arrive home regularly and in time to plan for school events
 
 
 
 
 

15. Newsletters are useful: describe rules, programs, holidays, events, personnel
 
 
 
 
 

16. I have been made aware of the channels to pursue if I have a problem or concern
 
 
 
 
 

17. I have good parent-teacher conferences and get to talk to teacher(s) when needed
 
 
 
 
 

18. The parent group deals with substantive matters & and is consulted by the principal
 
 
 
 
 

19. Parents can easily get in touch with the parent group and pass on concerns & interests
 
 
 
 
 

20. Invitations to attend parent meetings are genuine & held when most parents can attend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 PS:  This chart PRINTS OUT very nicely, especially if you use Landscape View in Word.

Family Agencies Should Support Parents in Schools

Published
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Tunya Audain
on August 7, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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Parents who see unresolved issues in their schools may try joining other like-minded groups to pursue concerns and issues. By joining the BC Council for the Family I met other people concerned about families and schools.

The BCCF Fall 1985 Newsletter announced the formation of the Family and Education Committee. One of the first things done was to send a letter to

Jack Heinrich, Minister of Education, giving him the background to the Council’s long-standing concern about the relationship families have with their schools. This is a concern directly expressed by many families. With the positive reply received from the Minister, in which he states he ‘would be happy to provide the support requested’ the committee hopes that they may be able to work with the Ministry of Education and be of mutual assistance.
In particular, the committee is concerned with how the family is portrayed in the curriculum and how the family is treated in home-school relationships. The committee has asked to have access to sets of materials related to the curriculum, together with descriptions of the curriculum review process and to policies and procedures regarding parental involvement.

The terms of reference for the Committee included the following:

Cognizant of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, Art.26, Sec 3

Parents have a prior right to choose the kind
of education that shall be given their children.

The Committee will pursue their task, keeping in mind two fundamental principles which flow from the above declaration:

  • the right to information, and
  • the right to family privacy

The purposes of the study shall be to enquire into:

  • the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards the family as an institution,
  • the influence of the public education system upon attitudes towards parental authority,
    1. in the home and
    2. in the child’s school concerning the child’s participation in school activities and choices among school courses,
  • the attitudes and practices of schools towards parents when they ask questions concerning their children’s courses of study, curriculum content, progress, behavior, etc.,

The terms of reference included the expectation that the committee would make recommendations concerning the need, and the ways and means, of encouraging parents everywhere to become knowledgeable about their schools and what is being taught, …

More reports on this committee in later Postings on this Site…

Parent Involvement: An Inalienable Right

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on July 1, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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Parents who feel so helpless and alienated from their schools need to know that they are right to feel upset about being unjustly excluded from their rights and duties regarding their children. Long standing research overwhelmingly points to the positive benefits of parent involvement in schools, and only recently have efforts been directed to apply the research. Parent Advisory Councils are legislated in British Columbia public schools and serious funding is provided to assist parents to have a voice — individually on behalf of their own children and as members of parent groups assisting in decisions regarding their schools. See BC Confederaton of Parent Advisory Councils. It’s been a long haul. In 1976 I attended the First National Conference on Parent Involvement in San Anselmo, California. At the close of the conference, we enunciated a Statement of Principles:

Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. (Article 26, Sec. 3, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations, 1948)

Universal education of youth is essential to the well-being of the State. The obligation to furnish this education rests primarily upon the parents. (First school laws in America, Massachusetts, 1642)

Basic Principles Guiding Parent Involvement We believe the inalienable right of parent involvement in the education of their children and the community’s children needs to be strengthened and reinforced. Operational Principles Guiding Parent Involvement 1. Information is a basic requirement if parents are to exercise their responsibilities in an informed and rational manner. Information on programs, options, rights of parents and students, etc., shall be readily provided to parents and be available at the schools and pre-schools their children attend. 2. Mutual Support and Encouragement is essential if parents are to gain the strength and skills required to carry out their obligations. Parent and Community groups are urged to provide those vehicles and skills which will promote parent competencies in the home, schools and community. 3. A Sense of Community which values a diversity of cultures, opinions and individual differences is essential to ensure a place and a role for every member of the community. Schools in particular are urged to foster the sense of community by developing programs, skills and opportunities that enable students, parents and other community members to work together in areas of mutual concern and interest. 4. Professional Responsibility must include a devotion to the support and strengthening of parent and family skills. Professionals need to be made aware of their role in assisting parents to serve as their children’s primary educators and advocates. 5. Legislation and Policies are required which will support parent involvement. It must be ensured that parents are involved in the decisions that affect them and their children.

Family Advocates Need to Back Parents in Schools

Published
by
Tunya Audain
on June 29, 2007
in Parent Involvement in Schools
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When you see a wrong or an injustice do you speak up? Do you join like-minded people to advance a cause? In your town or city there must be groups who speak on family issues. They should be approached by parents who feel their role in the education of their children is being compromised by school officials and teachers who believe that "experts know best" and see parents as merely fund raisers or unquestioning supporters. In this day and age parents should NOT be excluded from either individual involvement on behalf of their children or as voluntary members in their school’s parent advisory group. Literature on the subject shows the benefits from such involvement:

  • Family efficacy is nurtured through genuine involvement
  • School decisions more closely meet student needs and interests
  • Student achievement improves
  • Good discipline and positive school morale results
  • Culture of the school is more reflective of joint efforts rather than we/they split

For parents nowadays to be left out in the cold is not acceptable. There should be a culture of valuing parents in each and every school in democratic countries. It’s been a long haul for parents in British Columbia, but we do now have mandated parent advisory councils in every public school supported by School Act statutes and funding. One of the propelling agencies for this was no doubt the input from the BC Council for the Family which as early as the middle 70’s reported:

Most parents are concerned about the welfare of their children in school, and their own involvement in the overall process of education. However, not all parents felt that their views were really welcome or appreciated.

Of the 94 recommendations generated at the Conference on the Family, 1976, more dealt with education than any other issue.