Parental Involvement

10-6-10

Defining Parental Involvement

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do

nothing.”

-Albert Einstein

You can make the difference for these parents and these children.

No Excuses Definition

• Parental Support--Conversations, HW help, Encourage Reading, Set reasonable expectations,

Establishes routine and sets limits on TV/ Video Games

• Parental Engagement

--Communicates with school, attends school events, model behavior that matches school rules, model value of education and work, supports college readiness

• Parental Participation

--Attend school events, volunteer, participate on school committees, help with school decision making, community activities, develop relationship with school

Ruby Payne

• Schools operate from middle class norms and values

• Individuals bring with them their hidden rules

• We must teach them there are two sets of rules

Ruby Payne

• Generational Poverty

-Survival, relationships, entertainment

• Middle Class- Work, Achievement, Material Society

• Wealth

- Political, financial and social connections

Where are our parents?

•Our parents are still trying to meet their physiological needs thus school is only secondary.

•However, if we help them meet these needs we could ask for involvement in return.

Where do we begin?

Think of parents as single subgroups.

1. Career oriented (To busy)

2. Very Involved

3. Single parents with 2 jobs, to busy

4. Immigrant parents with Language issues

5. Parents overwhelmed with personal issues

6. Surrogate parents

7. Children in effect are their own parents (more for high school)

Differentiating Parent Support

Level One Ideal parent Automatically involved Committed to Education Basic needs for the most part are being met

What works:

Fliers, notes, open house, newsletters will work with these parents

Relationships are natural to develop

Differentiating Parent Support

Level Two Parent• More hesitant (most part want to help but don’t know how)

• Lacking some basic needs• May have 2 jobs• May lack education (Reading/ Writing)

What to do?Same as level 1 parents

Initiate personal contact (Phone calls), Volunteer or find someone who can help with paper work or provide assistance for basic needs

Differentiating Parent Support

Level 3 parent• Very hesitant, nothing seems to work

What to do?

Relationship, relationship, relationship

School must reach out to them through home visits, community assistance like a church to drive them, phone calls, work with their perceptions, help meet basic needs, include all activities from level 1 and 2.

Other Ideas

• A museum approach to family nights (EX: Ruby Payne pg. 10)• Provide daycare• Provide Food• Ask them to help us with garden• Classes that benefit parents like ESL, Computers, Social Security

cards, citizenship courses, how to fill out job applications, • Level 3 parents: divide parents up among staff members call them

introduce yourself, ask them to call you if they need help or have questions, welcome them and call them at least 1 a six weeks.

• Have Parent Ambassadors to call our Level 2 and 3 parents inviting them to school functions or to help baby sit during school functions.

Ruby Payne

When working with Parents of Poverty

1. Mutual Respect

2. Use casual register

--using “big words” makes them feel you are trying to cheat or trick them

3. Try to understand the way discipline is used in the household

4. Try to understand the way time is viewed

Ruby Payne

School is often feared and resented, school is viewed as babysitter or a necessary evil, they come with an “in your face” approach because they feel you are only going to be negative or judge them (this is a show of strength-survival skill

• Phrases to use:“Learning this will help your child win more often”

“The mind is a mental weapon no one can take from you”

“If you do this your child will be smarter and won’t get cheated or tricked”

“Learning this will help your child make more money”

“This information will help your child safer”

“I know you love and care about your child very much or you wouldn’t be here (don’t say this if you don’t mean it they will pick up on it)

Ruby Payne

Things that make the biggest difference for children by parents and teachers:

Support

Insistence

Expectations

District Results

No Excuses Definition

What are the challenges and barriers for our parents?

Lets Brainstorm