Show Notes

Welcome back to The State of Education podcast, presented by One-Room Education.

In today’s episode we are starting the discussion about the importance parents make in their child’s education and ways they can work with teachers to ensure their child is getting the best education possible.

The Biological Reason Kids Need Their Parents Involved At School by Dr. Meg Meeker, MD

I will be reading and discussing an article by Dr. Meg Meeker, MD titled “The Biological Reason Kids Need Their Parents Involved At School” in which she lays the important role that parents play in their child’s education and the biological basis for that need.

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Cognitive development refers to the maturation of the ability to think with greater complexity as years pass. 

Meg Meeker, M.D., The Biological Reason Kids Need Their Parents Involved At School.

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Dr. Meeker also presents the issue of single family homes and the possible implications they can have, especially for young boys, if there is no strong male role model provided in the child’s life. An issue not often talked about in the open when it comes to education for fear of offending people.

Dr. Meeker offers hope with the example of D.O.D., Dads on Duty, organization that was founded at a high school in Shreveport, Louisiana after fights had become so common in the school they were talking about closing it due to the safety risks to both staff and students.

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Historically, fathers provided stability, and this has not changed in the minds of children. … If we look at boys who have grown up with single mothers, we often see unrest in them. They need masculine influence as they mature into manhood.

Meg Meeker, M.D., The Biological Reason Kids Need Their Parents Involved At School.

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Parental Involvement in Education by STEVEN B. SHELDON

Obstacles to Parental Involvement

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The industrialization of education has created such as segmented and compartmentalized version of what a person is, that it is detrimental to the overall well being of the students.

Katie J., The State of Education podcast, Episode 10. 2022.

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Parental Involvement in Education is a great resource for parents and teachers looking for ways that they can get more involved in their student’s education.

What both of these articles point out is the pivotal role that parents play in their children’s education and the increased role they need to take within the modern factory model of education currently in use in the U.S. For more on the factory model of education (industrial education), see my previous episode, The Factory Model of Education: What is it and is it Still Viable in Today’s Ever Evolving World?

Sheldon points out that the degree to which teachers seek parental interaction depends on 2 things generally: 1, the grade level at which they teach and 2, their general attitude toward parents being present and involved within the classroom.

The older the children are, the less likely the teachers are to ask for parental involvement and the more likely they are to be irritated with a high level of involvement and inquiries about a student’s behavior and/or academic performance.

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Families in which all caregivers work full-time, where there are multiple children, or where English is not spoken or read well face significant barriers to participation in their children’s education.

STEVEN B. SHELDON, Parental Involvement in Education.

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Mr. Sheldon states, and I have seen first hand, that the more open the lines of communication are between parents and educators, the better the student’s performance will be overall. This communication can often be key to the success of a struggling student.

My Final Thoughts

My final thoughts on all of the information from today’s episode can be summed up as this:

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Parents have dipped out. Parents have tapped out of education for a really really long time. … I’m here to give them knowledge; YOU are supposed to be here for emotional and social support.

Katie J., The State of Education podcast, Episode 10. 2022.

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It is your job as a parent to step up and support your children throughout their education. If you aren’t sure how to support your student and their teachers to facilitate proper education, reach out to the schools. They have a plethora of resources and ways that you can stay in contact with teachers and staff.

As the parent, you are the team’s coach when it comes to your child’s upbringing and education. You have to lead your support team, teachers, babysitters, school administration and so on, to create your vision of what an educational victory would be.