Recently, parents in parts of America have been seeking a greater role in their children's schooling, from creating policies to making decisions about course content. Taking parenting into a school seems to go from responsible to ridiculous. There should be a degree to which parental involvement is appropriate and desirable, but where is the line?
Some parents see themselves as partners of school staff; other parents attempt to have a significant say in the details of how classrooms are run. If parents must stop and wonder whether they spend too much time complaining and laying down the law, it might be time to do one of two things: unregister the child from the school, or step back to let the school do its job. The only role in which parents can fully be managers occurs in a home school model. If we choose to send our children to a school, we must stand by our decision to entrust their education with outsiders. If that is impossible, it's time to pick a new school setting for the good of everyone involved.
"We value what parents tell us because you are the experts on your children, not us. We are medical experts, but that is different," said Doctor Basel Baker. Parents know things about their children that a doctor does not, and the same holds true for teachers and parents. If a child is not turning in homework, asking parents for a bigger picture is essential to helping find a solution. However, the relay stick is handed to teachers as to instructional practice and methods.
Our feelings often affect rational (理性的) thinking, and that is never truer than when our children are involved. Sometimes, what parents see presents a valuable data point to share, such as a child doing well when relaxed but failing under pressure during test-taking. That's why parents must approach schools about important decisions with information, not anger.
