Editorial: Parental involvement is key to educational success

Parents know what they want for their children: the best quality education possible. They want smaller classes, certified teachers and knowledge of how schools are spending their money. But without large-scale parent involvement in schools, these wants will never become a reality.

Parents who are getting involved and working together can ensure that their children receive a high-quality education. Parents need to organize themselves around school issues and fight for their children’s education.

Power comes in large numbers. Parent associations that work with small numbers of parents have limited clout — no matter how hard they work. Large groups have the power to make the changes within the school system. Parents will only be heard if many voices make demands in unison.

Parental involvement is usually undersized in low-income communities. There are many reasons: language barriers, babies at home, feeling unwelcome in schools and — most often — being unaware of parental rights.

These reasons cannot continue to be excuses. The few parents who are involved in neighborhoods like Highbridge need to get other parents angry enough to get involved. They need to convince parents to learn their rights and start demanding changes in schools.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them.” District 9 parents need to remember that. They must attend the first, last and every parent meeting from now until June.

No one should wait for something to go wrong in his or her child’s education; parents need to get involved now. There is no greater feeling than getting involved in a child’s education and being part of a change for the better. Parents should remember that taking the initiative to make change does not mean that they are agitators; it does not mean they will get their children in trouble. Involved parents want the best education for their children. By taking initiative, parents are asserting their self-respect and recognizing their responsibility to get involved and make positive changes.