Parental Involvement vs. Parenthood by Proxy

Positive Parental Involvement Empowers Students' Learning and Teachers' Success. True or False?

Negative Parental Involvement Dismantles Students' Learning and Teachers' Success. True or False?

I recently read through an assortment of teacher interview questions, preparing for a hiring committee, this was one of the questions, “Parental involvement increases student achievement, how do you increase parental involvement? I had to laugh; I thought this is derived to find teachers that will motivate (push) the kids and the parents to succeed. Is this a new criteria that teachers should ultimately be responsible for, not only teaching and motivating 30 students, they must also motivate parents to get involved with their own kids? The parenting by proxy throng seems to be the new norm and is the bane of many schools. Imagine if teachers could speak freely and give real insight into parent’s and student’s ability!  Report cards would be less politically correct language that makes even the most obnoxious kid sound great!

Is catering to these parents, which raise their kids by proxy, the reason our schools and our kids are failing? Are we falling behind socially, academically and emotionally because teachers are afraid to tell parents they are a big part of their child’s problem? Parenting is not a spectator sport and many parents are teaching their children the wrong educational values. 

 

Parents are the first teacher; they shape a child’s values by their actions and words. Students without strong virtuous role models at home, school, and peers are doomed to failure. Parents teach by example either inspiring a passion for learning and school, or learn contempt for being sentenced to 12 years of school. The questions are, “how do you involve parents that are poor role models for their children? What do you do when your parent’s values are detrimental to a student learning? Learning values takes place at home first.

Please share your thoughts!