Where do you live? I'll come and straighten your principal out!!!

We(our PTO) has frequently provided information at meetings and posted information in the lobby related to research and articles on parental involvement. I mean, isn't the function of a parent group to improve the school environment and increase parental involvment in education?

Present the information to your President and tell her you want to have it available for parents at your next meeting. After some of them read it, I guarantee there will be others who will happily join you to pursue this effort! Don't try to go it alone or you'll probably be ignored. I'm soooooo glad I don't have your principal!!! You can't give up on this. How would you feel if down the road your school got put on a watch list and you know it could have been avoided if there would have been help in the classrooms?! You go girl!!!!

I am already married but now you have visions running through my husbands head... Never hear the end of that one. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Where to go? Absolutely consult with your PTA. It's no secret that PTA is heavily centered around parent involvement and many districts have modeled their policies around National PTA's standards for parent involvement. This is a PTA issue.
I wouldn't go to the principal just yet (honestly, I wouldn't want to go to her at all without a little sodium pentathol but that's just me)
I would call your school district and ask for the communications department. That is our first point of contact in our district and the one really in the know. If your district has a Parent Involvement Coordinator, go there.
Most school districts have one policy or another that relates to how school volunteers are to be handled because of NCLB. Obviously, you don't want parents running willy-nilly around the classrooms, there will obviously be rules that they will have to follow. But again, I would gather some information first, then take it to your PTA. I would ask to place it on the agenda to discuss rather than laying it completely in the Presidents lap and open it up to the membership to discuss. I'd probably bring some information on PTAs standards and other links to discuss. Let them help you decide where to take it from there.

To all who've responded--THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Michelle--I love you. Will you marry me? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I downloaded the link, and plan on perusing it this week. But where do I take it from there? To my PTA pres, whom I love dearly, but will want to strangle me for causing waves, and most definitely NOT move to take this topic on? As a letter to the principal perceived as a "smarty pants" upstart's way to make life difficult and disrupt the smoothly running well-oiled machine my school already is ? The problem here is that the principal considers this HER school, and that only she is educated and intelligent enough (and I suppose she might include the staff if they agreed with her) to decide what is the best for my child's education.

Let's face it, parents involved in the classrooms is a double edged sword--it's great to have the helping hands, but then you also get the kooks and know it alls and TRUE trouble-makers in there. And I think most disturbing of all, to my staff and principal at least, is that once parents get involved, they REALLY see what's going on--and if they don't like what they see (or DON'T see)....

Now, when I contact the school district about their policy, who do I reach out to--Curriculum or the Superintendent? Our site, while well-intentioned, is sorrily lacking in many areas. This is a big "obstacle" for me to take on, so I'm going to try to get all my ducks in a row and be educated on all the pros and cons to be well-armed for battle. ANY AND ALL input in this area is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

How do you all deal with parents in the classrooms? I'm assuming a general call goes out to the parents, but who handles their organization? Do they need to sign confidentiality contracts? Should they be collecting and CORRECTING homework?

[ 12-14-2004, 07:17 AM: Message edited by: kmamom ]

Amen, Sister Michelle!
I would be horrified if our school began barring parents from the classroom, although I can see point in a parent not being in their child's class. We are just starting the Three for Me program and every comment from staff has been "Great, we can never have too many helpers!"
What could possibly be running through the minds of these educators?

So I asked the teacher, in a very light way, putting it in terms of "please don't be afraid to ask." She was very upbeat, but in no uncertain terms told me she felt it was inappropriate and distracting to have parents in the room.

Then in no uncertain terms you need to enlighten her on the law.
Parent Involvement under No Child Left Behind (and is included in the definition of the law)
1. That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
2. That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; (volunteering at a Santa Shop, I'm fairly certain, would not fall under the definition of Education)
3. That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;

Also in defining NCLB it states "because students do better when parents are actively involved in the education process, both at home and at school." AT SCHOOL!
www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/parentinvguid.doc
I would look on your own district site to see if your district has further defined the requirements of parental involvement.

Is the lunch lady childless? I don't see any different in her being in there than another parent.

Have you proposed a Parent Volunteer Program? It is easy to get reasearch on the positives of Parental Involvement. Then you could take that to a general meeting for discussion. Actually we have had several moms involved in our program that are not involved in our PTO. When used correctly it makes things so much easier on staff and parents. Perhaps they will at least consider forming a committee of all parties involved to see what kind of a program can work for your school. One thing I had to realize quickly was not everyone is comfortable with volunteers in their room so I tried to set ours up so that it would be used by interested staff. Including support staff such as the librarian, art teacher, etc.