How can parents get involved in their child's education

11 Ways Parents Can Get Involved in Schools

School Involvement Matters

A partnership between teachers and families helps develop successful and well-rounded students. This partnership provides students with more opportunities to learn and grow from a larger range of viewpoints and life experiences. Through open communication and collaboration, parents and teachers create important opportunities for teens to develop social, emotional, and academic skills. School involvement makes a difference.

The Benefits of School-Family Partnerships

When teachers and families partner together to support student achievement, students earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, and enroll in higher level courses. This collaboration also fosters more motivated students. Young people maintain higher educational aims and lower rates of dropout. Students with involved parents have better attendance, complete more homework, and have higher enrollment in educational opportunities after high school. Parents can participate at school by helping with functions and activities, or communicating with teachers. They can also be involved at home in many ways, including guiding their children to manage homework and other commitments and engaging in discussions about values and attitudes regarding education.

It’s About More Than Academics

A school-family partnership does more than enhance academic achievement. When parents and teachers work together, students report higher levels of motivation and self-esteem. Students also  develop key social and emotional learning skills, such as self-awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making. Young people develop these skills when programs are coordinated across settings, including home and school. When families and educators work together, they reinforce the kind of behaviors and skills young people need to become successful adults.

The reality is that not all schools have the same resources. But the good news is that parental involvement makes a real difference in schools everywhere. We hope for a nation in which all young people have schools with the resources needed to educate and prepare youth. Whether your school has all it needs or deserves more, involved parents make a difference.

Roadblocks to School Involvement

There are many potential roadblocks for family engagement in schools. Common reasons include demanding work schedules that allow little time for volunteering, discomfort communicating with school officials due to cultural or language barriers, and difficulty with transportation or childcare. School budget cuts and stretched resources may leave teachers, counselors, and administrators less time to create effective systems for family involvement. But when parents are able to get involved, their participation can help schools make the most of existing resources. And there are many ways for parents to stay involved in their children’s education that don’t require a trip to the school!

Through open communication and collaboration, parents and teachers create important opportunities for teens to develop social, emotional, and academic skills.

Ways to Get Involved

Here are 11 suggestions for getting involved in your child’s education.

1. Attend back-to-school nights or other orientation events. Get to know your teen’s teachers in the beginning of the school year. These events are also a great way to meet other families. Attending parent-teacher conferences throughout the year ensures you are on the same page.
2. Ask your teacher how they would like to communicate. For each teacher, find out whether phone calls, emails, or texts are the best way to stay up-to-date on progress and communicate if a problem arises. Don’t be afraid to speak up for your adolescent’s needs.
3. Demonstrate a positive view of education at home. Parental school involvement does not only occur inside the schools. It is also about communicating your larger values and attitudes regarding education and the hopes, dreams, and expectations you hold for your children. Communicating these values motivates young people to be persistent when faced with challenging educational tasks.
4. Encourage reading. Helping your children develop a love of reading is the single most important thing you can do to help them succeed in school and in life. Show them the importance of lifelong learning by reading books on your own. Even better, read the same book with them. Taking it one step further, discuss the book together afterwards!
5. Help manage the homework process. Let your teen know you think education is important and that homework is a priority. Set aside a special place to study and establish a regular time for homework. Help your child stay organized, ask about daily assignments, and monitor their work. Always remember to notice and praise effort.
6. Attend school events. Go to games and concerts, student exhibitions, and award events that your teen is and is not involved in. Your involvement in school-wide events, even when your tween or teen is not directly involved, helps build a community at large. You’ll meet other members of the school community and show your support for ALL kids.
7. Attend parent organization meetings. At most schools, parents meet regularly to discuss school issues. Join the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) or PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) to work with other families to improve the school. If you can’t attend the meetings in-person, ask to join the meetings virtually or ask for the notes to be emailed or sent to you.
8. Volunteer in the school. Schools often allow volunteers to chaperone trips or dances, help in classrooms, or run a school event. If your work schedule doesn’t allow you to volunteer in the school building, there are other ways to offer your time.You can volunteer to translate newsletters into other languages, make phone calls to let others know about school-related activities, or work on materials for school events. Be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities and share your special skills!
9. Let the school know what groups, classes or guidance you would like them to provide. Schools are a great resource to improve your own learning. If you want to know more about the school’s new math curriculum, how to talk with your teen about relationships, or how to help your teen apply to financial aid, let the school know! Chances are if you want to learn more about a topic, other parents do as well.
10. Encourage active learning. Young people need to be encouraged to ask and answer questions, solve problems, and explore their interests. Have frequent conversations about what they are learning and be prepared to ask questions. When you encourage this type of learning at home, your teen’s participation and interest in school may increase.
11. Learn about your rights. It’s important to know what your rights are as a parent when it comes to special services such as English instruction, immigration status, individualized education plans, and more. Learn more in Your Rights as the Parent of a Public School Student.

Moving Forward

School involvement is a great way to build relationships with teachers and staff, meet other families in the neighborhood, and help the school community grow to meet the needs of the students. Creating effective school–community partnerships takes time, commitment, willingness, and trust. However, the pay-off is promising. Community involvement in schools is consistently seen as key to building high-achieving schools.

Above all, you want your children to know you are engaged in their education. Even if you don’t have time to volunteer, you can help them learn when you’re at home. The key question is, “What can I do at home, easily and in a few minutes a day, to reinforce what the school is doing?” This kind of involvement in what and how your teen is learning is crucial to support your children’s success both in and out of school.

Parent Participation: How to Get Involved in Your Child's School Activities

Parent involvement in a child's education is crucial. When parents get involved in their children's education, children are more likely to do better in school, be better behaved, have more positive attitudes toward school, and grow up to be more successful in life.

What's the best way for me to stay involved in my child's school activities?

At the beginning of the school year, attend back-to-school night or other orientation events

Get to know the teachers and other school personnel. Listen to their plans, know what they hope to accomplish with their students, and understand why they chose these goals.

Attend school events

Go to sports events and concerts, student exhibitions, parent-teacher meetings, parents' night, and awards events, such as a "perfect attendance" breakfast.

Learn what the school offers

Read the information the school sends home, and ask to receive information in your native language if necessary. Talk to other parents to find out what programs the school offers. Maybe there's a music program, after-school activity, sports team, or tutoring program your child would enjoy. Remember to keep track of events throughout the school year.

Attend parent organization meetings

At most schools, a group of parents meets regularly to talk about the school. This group is usually called the PTA or PTO (Parent Teacher Association or Parent Teacher Organization). The meetings give you a good chance to talk with other parents and to work together to improve the school, as well as the chance to voice your hopes and concerns for your child and for the school. Help organize parent-teacher meetings around your interests and those of other parents. If you are unable to attend these meetings, ask that the minutes of the meetings be sent to you. Or, find out if the school makes these minutes available on its Web site.

Volunteer in your child's school

If your schedule permits, look for ways to help out at your child's school. Schools often send home lists of ways in which parents can get involved. Schools often need volunteers who can:

• Chaperone field trips or dances (and if your child thinks it's just too embarrassing to have you on the dance floor, sell soft drinks down the hall from the dance)
• Serve on the school committees or advisory councils as a parent representative
• Help on projects such as the school newsletter may need an editor
• Help in your child's class, in the school library, in the cafeteria, or in the school office
• Make food for a school event
• Tutor students in areas such as reading, math, English, Spanish, computer skills, or other subjects
• Work in a parent resource center or help start one. In these school centers, parents may gather informally, borrow materials on parenting and children's schoolwork, and get information about community services

If work or other commitments make it impossible for you to volunteer in the school, look for ways to help at home

For example, you can make phone calls to other parents to tell them about school-related activities or maybe help translate a school newsletter from English into another language.

What if I don't have time to volunteer as much as I would like?

Even if you can't volunteer to do work at the school building, you can help your child learn when you're at home. The key question is, "What can I do at home, easily and in a few minutes a day, to reinforce and extend what the school is doing?" This is the involvement that every family can and must provide to help support their children's school success.

References

Adapted from the following U.S. Department of Education publications:
Helping Your Child Succeed in School. First published in June 1993. Revised 2002 and 2005.
Questions Parents Ask About Schools. First published January 2003. Revised 2005.

Reprints

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Art. 63 RF IC. Rights and obligations of parents in the upbringing and education of children

1. Parents have the right and duty to raise their children.

Parents are responsible for the upbringing and development of their children. They are obliged to take care of the health, physical, mental, spiritual and moral development of their children.

Parents have priority over the education and upbringing of their children over all other persons.

2. Parents must ensure that their children receive a general education. nine0003

Parents have the right to choose an educational organization, forms of education for children and the form of their education, taking into account the opinion of children before they receive basic general education.

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< Article 62. Rights of minor parents

Article 64. Rights and obligations of parents to protect the rights and interests of children >

. Being by its legal nature a personal non-property right, it cannot be inherited. At the same time, it is the duty of the parents. nine0003

This is one of the most important rights and obligations of parents, which is also provided for in international agreements. According to Art. 18 of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the participating States shall make every possible effort to ensure that the principle of common and equal responsibility of both parents for the upbringing and development of the child is recognized. Parents, or where appropriate legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child are their primary concern. nine0003

The right to education allows parents to purposefully and systematically influence the child's psychology in order to instill in him the necessary, from their point of view, qualities. The right and obligation of parents to raise children are enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 38) and specified in paragraph 1 of the commented article.

Educational functions are carried out not only by parents, but by virtue of their official duties and other persons. According to paragraph 3 of Art. 7 of the Federal Law of 07/24/1998 N 124-FZ "On the Basic Guarantees of the Rights of the Child in the Russian Federation" (as amended on December 28, 2016), such functions are carried out by pedagogical, social workers, psychologists and other similar specialists.

Minor parents also have the right to live together with their child and participate in his upbringing. At the same time, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Art. 68 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation (see commentary to it), parents have the right to demand the return of the child from any person who does not hold him on the basis of law or a court decision. nine0003

In order to realize the right to education, constant communication with the child is necessary, allowing parents to directly influence his consciousness. Since mother and father have equal rights and responsibilities in raising their children, all questions and disagreements related to upbringing must be resolved by agreement of the parents. If such an agreement has not been reached, then the parents have the right to apply for the resolution of these disagreements to the body of guardianship and guardianship or to the court. However, if the parents live together, then such appeals are extremely rare. As a rule, parents end up finding a solution to problems themselves, even if initially there were disagreements between them on issues related to raising children. nine0003

Great powers in the implementation of the process of education are given to the legislation of the subjects of the Federation. In particular, according to paragraph 3 of Art. 14.1 of the Federal Law of July 24, 1998 N 124-FZ "On the Basic Guarantees of the Rights of the Child in the Russian Federation" (as amended on December 28, 2016) by the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in order to prevent harm to the health of children, their physical, intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral development, the following may be established: nature, in beer restaurants, wine bars, beer bars, wine bars, in other places that are intended for the sale of only alcoholic products, and in other places where being in which can harm the health of children, their physical, intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral development; nine0003

measures to prevent children (persons under the age of 18) from being in public places at night, including on streets, stadiums, parks, public gardens, public vehicles, at facilities (in territories, indoors) legal entities or citizens engaged in entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity, which are intended to provide access to the Internet, as well as to provide services in the field of trade and public catering (organizations or points), for entertainment, leisure, where, in the manner prescribed by law, retail sale of alcoholic products, and in other public places without the accompaniment of parents (persons replacing them) or persons carrying out events with the participation of children; nine0003

the procedure for notifying parents (persons replacing them) or persons carrying out activities involving children, and (or) internal affairs bodies if a child is found in the places specified in paragraphs two and three of this paragraph, in violation of the established requirements, as well as the procedure for delivering such a child to his parents (persons replacing them) or persons carrying out activities with the participation of children, or in the absence of these persons, the impossibility of establishing their location or other circumstances preventing the immediate delivery of the child to these persons in specialized institutions for minors in need of social rehabilitation, at the place where the child was found. nine0003

The right (and, accordingly, the obligation) to raise their children with their parents terminates in the following cases:

when the children reach the age of majority;

entry of minor children into marriage;

emancipation;

adoption of children;

deprivation of parental rights;

deaths and declaration of a citizen dead.

2. Paragraph 2 of the commented article deals with the obligation of parents to ensure that their children receive a general education. Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that States Parties recognize the right of the child to education and, with a view to the progressive realization of this right on the basis of equal opportunities, they, in particular:

a) introduce free and compulsory primary education;

b) encourage the development of various forms of secondary education, both general and vocational, ensure its accessibility to all children and take such necessary measures as the introduction of free education and the provision of financial assistance in case of need;

c) ensure the availability of higher education to all on the basis of the abilities of each by all necessary means;

d) ensure the availability of information and materials in the field of education and training for all children; nine0003

e) take measures to promote regular school attendance and reduce the number of students dropping out of school.

States Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in accordance with this Convention.

Paragraph 2 of the commented article establishes the right of parents to choose an educational organization, the form of education for children and the form of their education, taking into account the opinion of children before they receive basic general education. On the issue concerning the rights and obligations of parents in the upbringing and education of children, see also Article 44 of the Federal Law of 29December 2012 N 273-FZ "On Education in the Russian Federation". According to paragraph 3 of this article, parents (legal representatives) of underage students have the right to:

education and forms of education, organizations engaged in educational activities, language, languages ​​of education, optional and elective subjects, courses, disciplines (modules) from the list proposed by the organization engaged in educational activities; nine0003

2) give the child pre-school, primary general, basic general, secondary general education in the family. A child receiving education in a family, by decision of his parents (legal representatives), taking into account his opinion at any stage of education, has the right to continue his education in an educational organization;

3) get acquainted with the charter of the organization carrying out educational activities, the license to carry out educational activities, with a certificate of state accreditation, with educational and program documentation and other documents regulating the organization and implementation of educational activities; nine0003

4) get acquainted with the content of education, the teaching and upbringing methods used, educational technologies, as well as the grades of their children;

5) protect the rights and legitimate interests of students;

6) receive information about all types of planned examinations (psychological, psychological and pedagogical) of students, give consent to conduct such examinations or participate in such examinations, refuse to conduct or participate in them, receive information about the results of examinations of students; nine0003

7) take part in the management of an organization carrying out educational activities in the form determined by the charter of this organization;

8) be present during the examination of children by the psychological-medical-pedagogical commission, discussion of the results of the examination and recommendations received from the results of the examination, express their opinion on the proposed conditions for organizing the education and upbringing of children.

Law on Education in the Russian Federation in Art. 2 defines general education as a type of education that is aimed at developing the individual and acquiring, in the process of mastering the basic general education programs, the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for a person's life in society, a conscious choice of profession and obtaining professional education. nine0003

A in paragraph 3 of Art. 66 of the same Law states that secondary general education is aimed at further formation and formation of the personality of the student, development of interest in learning and creative abilities of the student, formation of skills for independent learning activities based on the individualization and professional orientation of the content of secondary general education, preparing the student for life in society , independent life choice, continuation of education and the beginning of professional activity. nine0003

It is impossible not to pay attention to the fact that the Law on Education in the Russian Federation does not specify how many years a child must study in order to speak of having a secondary general education.

The question of universal secondary (complete) education is currently being raised. It is known that hundreds of thousands of children do not receive even a basic general education. The reasons for this can be very diverse: from a banal unwillingness to study to economic difficulties in the family. In addition, the current legislation does not contain a mechanism for the enforcement of this obligation. So, in fact, this rule is declarative. nine0003

The letter of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated 11/15/2013 N NT-1139/08 "On the organization of education in the family form" explains that "The federal law provides for various forms of education and training, taking into account the needs and capabilities of the individual. In accordance with Part. 2 of Article 63 of the Federal Law, general education can be obtained both in organizations engaged in educational activities and outside them. education and training is provided for in the family form and in the form of self-education. In order to receive education and training, a combination of various forms of education and training is allowed (Article 17 of the Federal Law).The form of obtaining general education and the form of training for a specific basic general education program are determined by parents representative yami) of a minor student. When choosing by parents (legal representatives) of a minor student the form of general education and the form of education, the opinion of the child is taken into account (part 4 of article 63)."

Responsibility of parents for the upbringing of children

Comments on the Family Code of the Russian Federation

The Family Code of the Russian Federation, which entered into force, made significant changes to the regulation of the rights and obligations of parents. First of all, this concerned taking into account the opinions and interests of children. Now let's look at the rights and obligations of parents.

The upbringing of children is both a right and a duty of parents. “Parents are responsible for the upbringing and development of their children. They are obliged to take care of their health, physical, mental, spiritual and moral development of their children ”(Article 63 of the RF IC). nine0098 The right to education consists in giving parents the opportunity to personally raise their children, independently choose the methods and ways of raising a child. Responsibilities for upbringing include caring for the health of the physical, mental and moral development of the child. In our difficult time, the formation of a child as a person, his mental, spiritual and moral development are of great importance not only for the family, but also for society as a whole. The desire of parents to raise a spiritually rich personality, to give the child basic ideas about good and evil, decency and meanness, to develop in him a desire for knowledge, the ability to communicate with people is the key to the normal development of civil society. The Family Code clearly outlines the permissible limits for exercising parental rights: "Ensuring the interests of children should be the main concern of their parents" (Article 65 of the RF IC). In this regard, the legislator determined that "... parental rights cannot be exercised in conflict with the interests of children" (Article 65 of the RF IC).