It’s important for you to know your child’s teacher at school for a lot of reasons – and not just when you become aware of any problems. First and foremost, children benefit from seeing their parents at school. Your presence shows that you care about them and about what happens at school.
1. How should I contact and/or arrange a visit to my child’s school?
Most schools host Back to School nights or other events close to the beginning of the school year. This is a time when all parents can visit the school, meet the teacher, other parents, and the principal. If your child’s school doesn’t have Back to School night or if you have already missed it, you can still meet the teacher and the principal. Many teachers also schedule parent-teacher conferences, which are a good way to talk about your child in detail. You may also want to meet with the teacher or principal outside these times. You should call the teacher to arrange a time or send a note to teacher by way of your child.
Links:
How to prepare for parent-teacher conferences
Ten ways to stay in touch with your child’s teacher
2. Who are the key staff members I should know at my child’s school?
It’s important that there be at least one adult at the school who knows your child well. This person can be your child’s current teacher, a teacher s/he’s had in the past, his/her guidance counselor, school nurse or even the principal. These are all people you should be familiar with.
Links:
Who should I know at my child’s school, and how do I meet them?
How to build a good relationship with your child’s elementary school teacher
3. What information should I share with the staff to help them educate my child?
Tell the staff about your child’s personality: is he/she outgoing or shy? Energetic or laid-back? Children learn in different ways. Know how your child learns and tell your child’s teacher about it. Outside stress can affect your child’s learning. If there’s something going on at home—a divorce, the death of a family member or beloved pet—tell school staff about it.
4. What do I need to know about my child from his/her teacher?
Your child’s teacher can give you insight into your child’s learning style and his/her personality away from home. The teacher can also alert you to academic or social problems that you can then address with your child. The sooner you and your child address any problems, the easier they will be to solve.
5. What do I need to know about my child from his/her principal?
If there is a disciplinary problem with your child, the principal should contact you. You should then try to schedule a meeting with the principal, your child and his/her teacher to discuss the problem and possible solutions. The principal should also contact you concerning larger issues at school that don’t involve your child directly, but do affect him/her.
6. What do I need to know about my child from his/her school counselor?
What your child’s counselor can tell you depends mostly on whether or not your child has been seeing the counselor. If so, then the counselor can be an important resource regarding your child’s personality and emotional well-being. If your child has not seen the counselor, the counselor can give you general advice about any social problems your child may be experiencing.
7. How should I find out about other services (tutoring, health screenings) my child’s school may provide?
You can get information on school-provided and related services anytime. Back to School night is a great opportunity to collect information. Most teachers will then schedule parent-teacher conferences and you can ask for information then, or just call the school office and ask. It is important that you get this information before there is a problem, that way you are prepared.
8. Who should I contact if I notice a problem at my child’s school?
Depending on the size and severity of the problem, it’s probably best to speak with the teacher or principal about it. If you feel the problem is large enough you may want to bring it up at the next PTA or school board meeting.
Links:
What to do when you are unhappy with a public school teacher
9. Why should I attend school board meetings and get involved with a parent-teacher organization?
School board meetings are a great way to stay informed about new and pending school policies. The PTA is a way for you to be directly involved. The PTA is an advocate for children, an aid to parents and a support system for parental and public involvement in America’s public schools.
Links:
The PTA: How it works, how to get involved
10. What other community leaders or organizations should I talk to about improving my child’s school?
There are many organizations that help bring parents and other members of the community together to work for better public education.
Of these the largest organization with chapters in most schools is the PTA. With chapters across the country, the PTA is working everywhere to encourage improvements in education. Its mission statement is:
To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;
To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children;
To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.
For more information, www.pta.org
Another national organization is Parents for Public Schools. Parents for Public Schools "aims to elevate the role of parents in public school advocacy and reform by promoting a new standard and a new attitude for involvement at every level." PPS is still growing – you can check here to see if they have a chapter in your community: parents4publicschools.com
There may well be local groups of parents and other people interested in supporting your local public schools. Local chapters of national teachers unions like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers also can be good resources. The best thing to do is talk to other parents or community leaders, or teachers or the principal at your child's school to find out who to talk to locally.
When Things Don’t Seem to Be Going Well
Talking with a teacher or other staff person may help you see that your child is not progressing as well as he/she should be. Your child’s learning can be made more difficult by many different factors.
