Home School

We had our parent teacher conferences on November 8th and 9th.  As any teacher will tell you, parent teacher conferences make for a long day, are difficult to prepare for, exhausting, and worth every minute.  These conferences provide valuable insights into the children, allow for celebrations, and give parents and teachers the opportunity to discuss when things are not going well for a child.  Like I said worth every minute, WHEN PARENTS SHOW UP.  This year the parent turnout was well under 50%.  This despite numerous fliers sent home discussing the details of the conferences, teachers mentioning conferences in their newsletters, and in our classroom, writing a daily reminder in student planners (which parents are supposed to initial nightly).  And to be sure language is never an issue all fliers and newsletters are always sent home in both Spanish and English.

The pressure on teachers to perform has never been higher.  Thanks to the Race to The Top funding, The Gates Foundation, and No Child Left Behind states all across the country are looking for ways to more thoroughly evaluate teachers.  Some of these efforts are thoughtful, comprehensive, well intentioned, developed with union and teacher input, and will ultimately result in better instruction and higher student achievement.  However, none of these evaluations take into account the effect parents have on student achievement.  Interestingly, the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development studied 14 countries, interviewed 5,000 families, and analyzed the achievement of those students on an international test - The Program for International Student Achievement or PISA.  The PISA is a rigorous test which tests reading comprehension and the ability to solve real world  math and science problems.  The group identified three main findings:

1. Fifteen-year-old students whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school show markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents read with them infrequently or not at all.  On average the difference is 25 points, the equivalent of well over half a school year.
2. The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family's socio-econmic background.
3. Parents' engagement with their 15-year-olds is strongly associated with better performance in PISA.  Fifteen-year-olds whose parents discuss social and political issues at least once a week scored 28 points higher on average than those whose parents did not discuss social and political issues.

Thomas Friedman has an excellent column in yesterday's Sunday NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html) with a more thorough analysis and discussion of the results of the study, but I say, "no duh."  To illustrate the importance of parents I will share a few stories about parental involvement.

• We were having a classroom discussion recently about bedtime.  I asked a student, AG, "when is your bedtime?"  He replied, "I dunno, I have to be home by 8."  AG is ten.
• We were discussing books and video game systems.  I asked AG - different student, same initials, "How many video game systems do you have in your house?"  He replied, "six."  "How many books?" I asked.  "None."
• The same student walks in late, "AG, why are you late?"  "My alarm didn't go off."  "How come your mom didn't get you up to go to school?"  "Oh, I get myself up and come to school by myself."  AG is ten.
• A mom came into our classroom one morning with her daughter and says she didn't see the fliers or information about parent teacher conferences.  I said, "no problem let's find a time to meet."  We settled on Wednesday morning, 30 minutes before school starts.  Wednesday morning rolled around and mom didn't show up.  I saw her after school and asked, politely and respectfully, what happened.  She says she was busy and couldn't make it but is there another time?  So we settle on Friday after school.  By now you know what is coming.  Friday afternoon and no mom.
• At a conference with a 5th grade student who barely reads at a second grade level, but who was absent 35 times last year and has been absent 10 times already this year, not counting times the student went home early, which I estimate to be at least 5 - I bring up his chronic absenteeism.  Mom and dad say to the child in a babying voice, "Do you hear that?  You're not going to miss anymore school OK?  How about we offer you a reward if you don't miss anymore school?"  I was sitting there thinking, "Wait, who decides if this child goes to school, the parent or the child?  A reward for not missing school, really?"  The child has been absent two days out of eight since that conference.

These are only a tiny fraction of the stories I could tell.  While sometimes parents have legitimate excuses for not always being able to sign their child's planner or initial his or her reading log all too frequently there is simply no excuse.  And the findings of the PISA study show the critical role parents play in their children's academic achievement.  Moreover, the findings of the study show that there are just a few simple things parents can do, regardless of income levels, to increase their children's achievement:

• Read together frequently (at least once a day) especially when the child is young.  Read together even when the child is a newborn.
• Talk about school with the child and talk about things he or she did during the day.
• Tell stories to the child.

And I would add a few of my own:

• Assist the child with organization.  Make sure the child has systems and routines in place to keep track of his or her supplies.
• Frequently discuss the importance of school and education.
• Limit screen time.
• Make sure the child makes it to school.
• Make sure the child has a bed time.
• And, of course, attend the child's parent/teacher conference.

Again, these are simple things parents can do, regardless of income levels, to help their children learn.

Friedman concludes his column by writing, "To be sure, there is no substitute for a good teacher. There is nothing more valuable than great classroom instruction. But let’s stop putting the whole burden on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make every teacher more effective."

I agree whole heartily.  Parents are their children's first and most important teachers.