How to Improve Your Child's School

Mark Twain once said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." There's no question that building a partnership between the community and the school strengthens both. The bottom line is, of course, whether your child's school stimulates and nurtures his or her emotional, intellectual and social development to its highest potential.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Cultivate positive relationships with each of your child's teachers, administrative staff, directors, principals and even the superintendent. Do this by joining the PTA if it's a public school or the board of directors if it's a nonprofit or private school. You'll be privy to what is going on in the school district and get a sense of how the school stacks up against other schools.
2. Keep in touch with teachers on a regular basis to see how your child is doing and to address any concerns. Don't wait for the school to call you when there is a problem; be on top of things before there is an issue. Keep an open mind to anything the teacher might say--even if you've never seen your child behaving in a particular way at home.
3. Volunteer your time, whether that means becoming a PTA member, a playground monitor or a homework hotline counselor. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you stay involved.
4. Help your child with homework. If the lessons are too easy or too difficult, let the teacher or guidance counselor know.
5. Encourage high expectations. Share your goals with your child's teacher and guidance counselor so they'll help your child work to his or her full potential. Get involved with the PTA and the board of education, and ask about the school district's expectations for the whole student body.
6. Investigate the standards of your child's school. Does a hefty percentage of the graduating class attend four-year colleges? Does the school offer enrichment and honors classes? If you feel the standards aren't high enough, encourage the teachers, principal and superintendent, as well as other parents, to fight to raise the standards.
7. Make the school accountable for its discipline. In this litigious society, school districts are careful about punishing students for bad behavior. Bullying is a prime example. Too often schools won't properly address a bullying situation, and the victims become subject to irreversible taunting humiliation. If there isn't a coherent bullying policy at your child's school, volunteer to assist in creating one. You may need to take this up to the board of education for a system-wide policy.

Tips & Warnings

• If you sense your child might have any kind of learning disability, ask the school to run the appropriate tests.
• Being bored with school can be a sign that your child is gifted. Have your child tested. If he or she is gifted, get together with the teacher to develop supplemental work that will be sufficiently challenging. See 270 Homeschool Your Child.
• Make sure you understand the curriculum requirements for your high-school student and the best time that he or she should take advanced courses. See 150 Get Into a Top College or University.
• Research board of education candidates by attending preelection debates, reading the literature they hand out and reading about them in the local papers. And certainly vote at school board elections. These folks have the power to hire and fire teachers, make decisions about curriculum and dictate the school budget--so you should elect them carefully. See 392 Run for Local Office.
• The Harwood Institute (theharwoodinstitute.org) is a national organization dedicated to connecting communities and schools.