There seems to be a little battle brewing in Connecticut over report cards in Manchester School District. What makes this fight a little different from the norm is that these report cards are intended for parents, not for students. A member of the school board, Republican Steven Edwards, is calling for report cards for parents, evaluating them on everything from their children’s homework to appropriate dress to breakfast.
The local PTA, along with the school district itself, is opposed to the idea, believing that any issues can just be resolved if parents had more face time with teachers. When asked what she would think if parent report cards were put in place, the president of the PTA (according to Fox News) said: “I’d be ticked … They’re telling you what to do with your kid.” (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306003,00.html)
What’s so wrong with that? Why shouldn’t the schools instruct parents on what they can do to increase the effectiveness of classroom time? And more importantly, what message are we sending with such strong opposition to looking at the parent’s role in student achievement?
In 2007, we assess virtually everyone. Students take tests to judge their abilities and competencies. They are compared to other students in the district, state, nation, and world. They take multiple assessments each academic year, and we take those numbers seriously.
Likewise, we use that student data and other measures to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers. In our necessary push for qualified, effective teachers, we regularly judge our teachers. Fairly or unfairly, our teachers are measured by the performance of their students. Parents use that report card to help select teachers or schools for their kids, and some school districts use that report card to determine performance bonuses.
And we keep moving up the chain. We assemble report cards on our schools and school districts, measuring them again other schools and districts. Each year, we get national report cards on how our states measure up compared to our neighbors, our peers, and such.
Education is all about report cards. They measure achievement. They measure progress to date. They are a constant in the process that we expect, depend on, and use as a tool for improvement.
So it only seems natural that report cards could and should be extended to parents. We know that parents are just as important an influence, if not more so, on their kids’ academic achievement as teachers. A parent is a child’s first teacher, and is often one of the last. And like it or not, children model their behaviors after their parents and do what they say.
In the perfect world, parents and teachers should be working together, and assessed together. It shouldn’t be an adversarial relationship, nor should it be a once a year meeting for 20 minutes. Parents should want to be engaged in what is happening in the classroom and should monitor closely. And the schools should be able to help parents improve the learning time at home, making sure that all students have the support and encouragement they need to maximize their time behind the schoolhouse doors. Such a dynamic is the quickest, easiest path to opportunity for all students.
Parental influence should lend itself to some sort of accountability. But the status quo will continue to fight the concept. And that’s a real shame. As long as the measurement tool is fair, and not subjective, parents should embrace a report card. We boast when we coach our child’s sports team. We proudly display our student’s honor roll bumper sticker. We should equally embrace a great report card showing we are a key influencer in our kid’s school success.
We tell our kids grades matter. We tell them they have to work hard for high marks. Maybe we need to lead by example, and let them see us working hard for the gold star on the parent’s report card. Just imagine all those kids who can ride around on their bikes, with bumper stickers declaring, “My Mom is on the Parent’s Honor Roll.”
The local PTA, along with the school district itself, is opposed to the idea, believing that any issues can just be resolved if parents had more face time with teachers. When asked what she would think if parent report cards were put in place, the president of the PTA (according to Fox News) said: “I’d be ticked … They’re telling you what to do with your kid.” (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306003,00.html)
What’s so wrong with that? Why shouldn’t the schools instruct parents on what they can do to increase the effectiveness of classroom time? And more importantly, what message are we sending with such strong opposition to looking at the parent’s role in student achievement?
In 2007, we assess virtually everyone. Students take tests to judge their abilities and competencies. They are compared to other students in the district, state, nation, and world. They take multiple assessments each academic year, and we take those numbers seriously.
Likewise, we use that student data and other measures to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers. In our necessary push for qualified, effective teachers, we regularly judge our teachers. Fairly or unfairly, our teachers are measured by the performance of their students. Parents use that report card to help select teachers or schools for their kids, and some school districts use that report card to determine performance bonuses.
And we keep moving up the chain. We assemble report cards on our schools and school districts, measuring them again other schools and districts. Each year, we get national report cards on how our states measure up compared to our neighbors, our peers, and such.
Education is all about report cards. They measure achievement. They measure progress to date. They are a constant in the process that we expect, depend on, and use as a tool for improvement.
So it only seems natural that report cards could and should be extended to parents. We know that parents are just as important an influence, if not more so, on their kids’ academic achievement as teachers. A parent is a child’s first teacher, and is often one of the last. And like it or not, children model their behaviors after their parents and do what they say.
In the perfect world, parents and teachers should be working together, and assessed together. It shouldn’t be an adversarial relationship, nor should it be a once a year meeting for 20 minutes. Parents should want to be engaged in what is happening in the classroom and should monitor closely. And the schools should be able to help parents improve the learning time at home, making sure that all students have the support and encouragement they need to maximize their time behind the schoolhouse doors. Such a dynamic is the quickest, easiest path to opportunity for all students.
Parental influence should lend itself to some sort of accountability. But the status quo will continue to fight the concept. And that’s a real shame. As long as the measurement tool is fair, and not subjective, parents should embrace a report card. We boast when we coach our child’s sports team. We proudly display our student’s honor roll bumper sticker. We should equally embrace a great report card showing we are a key influencer in our kid’s school success.
We tell our kids grades matter. We tell them they have to work hard for high marks. Maybe we need to lead by example, and let them see us working hard for the gold star on the parent’s report card. Just imagine all those kids who can ride around on their bikes, with bumper stickers declaring, “My Mom is on the Parent’s Honor Roll.”
Eduflack By Patrick R. Riccards 
Good stuff, Patrick.I think half the battle here is semantics and spin. “Report card” works great in a political campaign. It has just the kind of accountability and “tough-on-crime/tough-on-parents” positioning that makes good headlines (already working like a charm). But it’s that same positioning that creates the fear and offense from parents.Take away that meant-for-political-points name and offer parents insight into helping their kids and feedback on exactly what things are preventing johnny fro succeeding (even if some of that hits home), and parents appreciate that help. In every survey we do and from all the feedback we receive, parents love more communication from school. “I’m finding that Johnny has really low energy in the morning and it’s leading to him falling behind. Here’s instructions on taking advantage of our breakfast program” is a far cry from a parent getting an F on breakfast.Tim Sullivanhttp://www.ptotoday.com
I agree that “report card” is one of those great terms that get peoples’ attentions and spotlight the issue. The value of this campaign issue, from the communications side, is that it throws a real spotlight on an important issue. For far too long, we have ignored the important role of parential involvement on student achievement. Many parents still believe that “learning” happends behind the schoolhouse doors from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. But we know learning is a 24-hour experience. And that experience requires parental responsibility.We want parents to play a role in what happens in the classroom. So we also need to provide them some guidance on how they can improve classroom learning in the home. Teachers and parents have a shared responsibility here. They need to keep each other honest and on track.At the end of the day, report cards are just the idea to bring the issue to forefront. Hopefully, the end result is just the sort of direction and recommendations you mention.