How important is parental involvement in curriculum development and the establishment of school policies?

Answer 1

I feel that parental involvement is important, but teachers have to let parents be involved. By that I mean that teachers have to communicate with and work together with parents in order to properly teach students. Parents do not usually understand a teachers curriculum and unless the teacher explains her policies, school policies, and tries to get parents involved, the parent is "flying blind".

Here is an example: I sent a letter at the beginning of school to my step-sons teacher asking for her to inform me if she had any problems with him not doing homework. He just came to live with us 3 months ago and we were told by his mother that he had a problem not turning in homework at his last school. I also requested a list of weekly homework assignments so that I could ensure that he did them and turned them in. I recieved no response from her. Instead I got a note sent home saying she was giving him detention for not turning in 2 homework assignments. I finally had to write another letter and an e-mail to her, since I get nothing but a voicemail during school hours. She called me back, and was kinda rude, as if she had done nothing wrong. I questioned her if she got the first letter I sent and she said that she did. She then informed me that at the 5th grade level they did not send home assignment lists, cause the kids at that grade level needed to start being responsible for their homework. However, the punishment of after school detention was also punishing me, since I would have to be the one who took off work early to pick him up. I asked how I was suppose to enforce the idea of doing homework, if I was not even aware of what homework he had, since she would not give me a list. She finally said "Well, I guess that I could make an exception and get you a list of the assignments."

As a parent, I asked for suggestions and support from the teacher, and she didn't want to give it.

So what can parents do, if the teachers do not involve them?

Feel free to contact me if you have a response,

Answer 2

Curriculum is often dictated by the state and with "no child left behind"..the federalies have added another layer of "input"

Curriculum development is often aimed at specific goals:
improvement in SAT, ACT test scores
improvement in state "accountability"- minimum standards testing. These go by any number of terms across the country.
Curriculum???? Unless you are an educator yourself, I would suggest that the parents' role should be one of "overseer".
In other words- at the times of state reviews,
accreditation proceedings, [municipality] police public records, board meetings-these are specific areas that affect your child...
and you need to know how the school is doing
for instance

What is the average SAT score, and how does that compare to the national average?
Under the "safe schools" act, are all the fights/weapons violations/drug violations reported???
What percentage of students receive academic scholarship offers? National Merit qualifiers?
What percentage of the teachers have advanced degrees in their subject area????
[Disregard "Education" degrees, they are pften meaningless measures of teaching effectiveness]

Curriculum should address the state and federal guidelines-but should [hopefully] offer students courses above and beyond that.Be advised, though...with the increase in legislative bodies mandating the minimum courses...additional courses-
electives, enrichment, advanced placement, "survey" ,and all too often music/art/theatre courses have been cut due to financial constraints..A general education costs......


As far as school policies that directly affect your child[ren]....
Safety, safety, safety....first, foremost and critical
Every parent should mandate a "Zero tolerance" policy for school violence, drugs, and weapons....be advised that many school administrators will try to hide these occurances so that their state reports look "good" for their constituants....image is SO important. one way around this is to have students use their cell phones to report fights/weapons/drugs to the local police...so that the administration can't cover it up/deny it/ "white wash" it

After safety....require standard English from the teachers and the students....this may sound a bit provential...but slang, vulgar, crude, inappropriate language sets the tone that the school and the classroom are not run by the "learned" adults...that it is appropriate language for learning...that it is socially acceptable...that it is acceptable in the workplace....

any behavior that does not serve to raise the bar, so to speak . is contraproductive....


In addition to teaching the material...schools are a social setting..parents should never let the school enviroment supercede their own "home" influence....
I hate to say "good old fashioned family values" since it carries a lot of political baggage lately....but , in essence, that's what parents should mandate from their schools


sorry, to "bend your ear" but obviously.....

been there done that

34 years in the classroom

Answer 3

I don't know how important that is, but I know one thing: parents should let the teachers do their job. Do teachers come to you to tell you how to do your job?