I found this week's readings to be very informative and motivating. I hope to work in an urban school and therefore much of what these articles are discussing is highly relevant. I think it is unfortunate that many schools have a narrow view of what parent involvement means, and I can definitely see how this view is skewed toward the middle class. No wonder why parents in these areas have mistrust of the system.
It seems imperative for teachers to be informed about the variety of parent involvement possible, as the article by Susan Auerbach suggests. Even though a parent is not visible in the school, does not mean that the parent is uninterested or unsupportive. For example, those parents may work more to help their child go to a better school or may give them less responsibilities at home so there is more time for schoolwork. I think it is very important for teachers and school administrators to keep this in mind.
I wonder if the parents who may be supportive at home might be more visible in the school or more able to be advocates if there were more community based organizations assisting the process, such as in the article "Beyond the Bake Sale." I really like the programs described in this article, and wonder why more urban schools are not implementing these models. I found it frustrating to hear that schools might be hesitant to empower parents to be advocates in their children's education. It seems as though helping these families improve their lives as a whole will not only help those children's lives, but will also improve the quality of life for generations to come. It seems imperative for teachers to advocate for the availability of these types of supports for parents.
While interning in a guidance department at a high school, I worked with a student who was a child of recent Chinese immigrants. While I am sure that her parents were supportive of her education, she had very little assistance with being able to apply to college. Guidance counselors (or teachers) just do not have the time to help students like her with college applications in the intense manner that this student needed. I'm guessing that in her situation, just like for many others, it was a combination of language barriers and lack of understanding of the American education system that impeded her college application process. This is just another example of how necessary and valuable it is for schools to gain parents' trust and help them become more knowledgeable about the educational system so that they can be more of an advocate in their children's education.
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I think the lessons you learned from your experience with the Chinese student might explain why many schools do not focus on CBOs. You write that the faculty did not have the time to help her. I think schools probably assume that incorporating CBOs will also be too much to deal with on top of their other obligations. They might be right. But I think they should try to understand that, while it possibly could give them more work to do, the rewards that could come for students, parents, and the school will make their time sacrifices worth it.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to think that parents are misjudged due to their inability to participate in family involvement activities. Parent involvement is something that I deal with on a daily basis, it can be frustrating, but I try to keep in mind that parents have lives outside of the classroom and just because they do not come to school events, does not mean that they do not care or are not interested in their child.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, planning class events can be very time consuming. As teachers, I feel that time becomes an issue.It would be nice to have an aid to help with the logistics that go into planning and communicating with parents regularly to help build the teacher parent relationship.
It's definitely important for all of us as teachers to remember the point that you make that just because we don't see certain parents at the school doesn't mean they don't care their children. There are all kind of reasons they may not be able to come to events. It's really easy to make judgments and assumptions, and I know I'll have to work hard to make sure I don't do either of those things.
ReplyDeleteThat really is unfortunate about the Chinese student. It's a shame that the guidance counselor gave up on him/her because the counselor did not have time for the student. Applying for college was challenging at times for me and I had no language barriers. I think it's a good example though, because I'm sure all of us in the class would say that it is part of our job to put in the extra time or effort to help students like this one.
I agree with you strongly that all urban schools would benefit from a community center much like the one mentioned in the article in New Jersey. I wonder the cost and commitment that goes into it though. The fact that a private corporation is needed for the funding to exist means that the community would either need to have a strong private business section willing to support the poorer residential areas or strong advertising within the school looking for support.
ReplyDeleteI thinking about the Chinese student I am reminded of an African American student who was convinced this past year, in the school I work, that his math teacher was discriminating against him. While a part of me recognized that his class room behavior was not always acceptable I did begin to observe the different way the teacher addressed him as a distraction in contrast to how he handled white students.