parents1 mc kee

Parents

Who are they? How do they feel about school?

Variety of Beliefs about the Place of Academic Work in Life

(Vatterott, 2012)

All academics/All the time

Balancing academics and family-chosen activities

Balancing academics, leisure, and happiness The priority of

family responsibilities and paid work

Parents are Diverse(Payne, 2004)

Possible Subgroups of Parents in One School– Two-Career Parents– Involved Parents– Non-working and Uninvolved parents– Surrogate Parents– Immigrant Parents– Parents Working Two Jobs– Single Parents– Parents who are Unavailable– Parents who are “Crazymakers”

Let’s investigate

some interviews!

• The interviews we will be using are linked on the WIKI under “Home-School Collaboration Article.”

• Scroll until you find “TABLE 1: Teacher and Parent Responses to Interview Questions”.

Point-of-View T-Chart

With a partner, you will read and make important notes about either the teacher or parent in Ryan’s case study. Decide which person you will study, and make notes on your chart.

Now What?

• Use your notes to discuss the interview with your partner.

• Once you are done, individually answer the question, “What seems to be the disconnection between the parents and the teachers?”

The Path of Parental Un-Involvement

1. Parents want to help their kids.2. Teachers provide valid but vague suggestions.3. Parents do not know how to help their kids,

and they stop trying.4. Teachers become frustrated and decide

parents don’t care.(Musti-Rao & Cartledge, 2004)

Some parents just don’t know the impact they have…

• Many parents (especially low-income) parents do not know they can influence their children's achievement.

• They feel ill-equipped. “Isn’t it the teachers’ jobs? They have the college degrees in education.”

(Musti Rao & Cartledge, 2004)

References

Musti-Rao, S., & Cartledge, G. (2004). Making home an advantage in the prevention of reading failure: Strategies for collaborating with parents in urban schools. Preventing School Failure, 48(4). 15- 21.Payne, R. K. (2004). No Child Left Behind, part IV: Parent

and community involvement. Instructional Leader, 17(6). 1-2, 9-12.

Vatterott, C. (2012, October). “Co-education”: Negotiating a new parent-school relationship. Poster session presented at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Fall Conference, Atlanta, GA.