Standard Activity 8.34.

C
Skylar A Tomblin
West Virginia State University
Educ 650-Internship
 Creating relationships and partnerships with students, families, and the community is
critical. The responsibility for building partnerships belongs primarily with the school.
Developing these relationships help by enriching student-learning opportunities, provides
students access to current resources, and increases the student support system. Parent
involvement is a process that involves the entire school community and all stakeholders.
Parent involvement is day-to-day practices that support learning at home and at school.
To improve parent involvement and attitude toward the school, administration and staff must
provide a welcoming environment and work as a team. As an administrator, I would hold an
interactive Professional Development for all staff members focusing on the importance of parent
involvement. This meeting would include the school administrator, teachers, secretary, cooks,
custodians, etc. We would discuss and share ideas on how everyone communicates with students
and parents.
During this meeting, we would discuss what needs improvement and how we could get
more parents involved with their child’s education. I would also recommend that teachers offer
opportunities for parents to volunteer, acknowledge and greet all visitors and parents, make the
school atmosphere welcoming (bulletin boards and display student work), and keep parents
informed with what is going on in their child’s classroom by a website or newsletter.
Communication is the key to parent involvement and student learning. Communication is
essential for building school and parent relationships. Teachers should contact parents when
needed, promote upcoming events, and update their communication tools regularly. Teachers can
also ask for parent input by issuing a survey. This survey could inform teachers of how parents
want to be involved. It should always be a priority to take time to speak with parents about what
they believe and work as a team to increase their child’s learning.
Most importantly, I believe all schools should have a “Family Night” scheduled during
the first month of school. Family Night should consist of activities that promote parent
involvement and student achievement, display student work, and contain open conversations
with staff regarding concerns and ideas. I believe it would be beneficial to organize a parent
workshop during Family Night. This workshop would provide information, tools, and ideas to
families in order to support their child at home with homework, goal planning, transitions, and
school based services that support student learning. This workshop should also include
explanations of how parents can help with homework, expectations of the school, and offer
structured educational activities.
Parent involvement in schools is critical to students’ academic success. All children
benefit from a healthy relationship with their parents. This relationship helps build the way for a
child’s successful academic experience. As educators, we must encourage parent involvement
and persuade them to be active in their child’s education. We must include, not just inform,
parents on what is going on in the classrooms. Administrators and teachers must communicate
with parents to bring them aboard to accomplish tasks and goals.
Student achievement increases when parents are positively involved in school activities
and their child’s education. A student’s home life plays a major role in creating beneficial
practices and behaviors at school. As educators, we must interact with parents and encourage
them to be involved. With positive interaction established, relationships develop. When
relationships are developed, parents are more likely to be involved in school events and
activities. By providing parents with knowledge at the “Family Night” workshops, students and
parents are more likely to be engaged in their education.