Problems With Parent Involvement

Lack of Involvement

• Government programs, underqualified teachers and lack of resources can no longer be the only excuses for education struggles. Most teachers share the frustration of uninvolved parents and witness daily in their classrooms the effects on the educational process. Parents fail to attend parent-teacher meetings and school functions and avoid working with their children on assignments and projects. These deficiencies lead to poor communication and little support, resulting in decreased student performance, lower self-esteem among students and increased disciplinary problems.

Time Issues

• The current economy in 2011 plays a part in the lack of parent involvement. Many families struggle daily, and parents work multiple jobs to support family members. Some single-parent families do not have secondary support at home and spend most of their days working. These situations create little time for parents to attend school events or work on home lessons with their children. Sadly, many parents leave the house before their children awake and return home after they have gone to bed.

Education Concerns

• Parents commonly describe their own inadequate educations as reason for their lack of involvement, according to Jeri LaBahn in the article "Education and Parental Involvement in Secondary Schools: Problems, Solutions, and Effects" at Teach.valdosta.edu. They think their inadequacies exempt them from any accountability for their children's learning and sometimes their upbringing. Teachers often find themselves taking the place of parents, though they are hardly sufficient in that role. It is a cyclical problem. School holds no value to a child if it holds no value to the parent. In the eloquent words of American writer, educator, and activist James Baldwin, who explored social and psychological pressures, "Children have never been very good at (just) listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."

Hope for Change

• Parents should want their children to have the best opportunities to succeed contends LaBahn. Children must rise as the priority in families, and parents must find the time to be involved. Teachers with flexible conference/meeting times provide options for parents. Schools with educational/guidance programs for parents empower everyone to succeed. The Michigan Department of Education reports that when parents read at home with their children, children make significant gains in reading achievement, compared to those who only read at school. Bedtime reading gives parents an opportunity to participate.