Key to Stemming High-School Dropouts: Parents
In this article http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1027/p02s01-usgn.html Key to Stemming High-School Dropouts: Parents, the idea that communication between schools and parents in low -income schools is the key factors to preventing students dropping out. In this article the myth that low-income parent don’t value education or don’t want to be further engaged by the schools is countered. In this article it suggest that the dropout rate may be higher in low- income schools because schools don’t notify parent when student are absent or doing poorly in school. Also that schools don’t require parents to be involved in their child’s education in high school. Once in high school many parents believe that their volunteering and participation is no longer needed.
I agree that there need to be a great deal of communication between schools and parents and parents to students. I think that in low-income schools there is not enough money in the budget or resources for schools to notify parents every time a student is absent. I think that there should be a way that parents are kept up to date in their child’s schooling, be it attendance, grades or behavior. I think in efforts to kept parents informed progress report should be mailed to parents every semester also I think that schools should use the Internet as a way to keep in contact with parents.
I think that in lower-income schools parents can not participate in their child’s school activities because of work obligations. In instances where it is a single parent home finding time to participate is hard because of work obligations. Because of work obligations many parents just don’t have the time to participate. I am not using work as an excuse for parents not ever going to a parent teacher conference or being involved but this is a reason why parent are not active in schools.
i think another big issue is that both parent and student think that high school is the age where participation in not needed. Many children believe that they are too old or cool to have their parents volunteer or or participate in their schools. As parents think that their child is too old to have their involvement. so because of these ideologies many parents fall into the background.
In the article it states that parents said “they were not notified about their child attendence or grades by schools” but i ask did the [arent put forth effort to learn about their child atendence and acdemics? so in all I think that there should be an effort between both parents and schools to make sure that students are achieving in school.
