Adoption STAR knows the importance of advocating for your adoptee in school. Parental involvement is key!
Earlier this fall, Adoption STAR held an “Adoption and School” workshop. Facilitated by Wendy Lane, it provided practical information and tools for ensuring appropriate support for school-aged adoptees. Clearly our agency feels it is an important topic to discuss!
With that in mind, we wanted to share a list entitled, “Did You Know These Ten Truths About Parental Involvement?” It’s a resource from Peak Parent Center, Incorporated. This is an important read for adoptive parents and educators alike! Adoptive parents should take this information to heart and share it with their school district (especially if they find themselves frustrated by a lack of communication/understanding).
- All parents have hopes and goals for their children. They differ only in how they support their children’s efforts to achieve these goals.
- The home is one of several spheres of influence for children. Schools must work with other spheres for the child’s benefit, not push them apart.
- The parent is the central contributor to a child’s education. Schools need to recognize the role of the parent and build on it.
- Parent involvement must be a legitimate element of a child’s education. It deserves equal emphasis with elements such as program involvement and evaluation.
- Parent involvement is a process, not a program of activities. It required ongoing energy and effort.
- Parent involvement requires a vision, policy, and framework. It’s important that everyone knows and supports the goals.
- Parents’ interactions with their children are the cornerstone of involvement. A program must recognize the value, diversity, and difficult of the parents’ role.
- Most barriers to parent involvement are found within school practices. They are not found within parents. Any parent can be “hard to reach.” Parents must be identified and approached individually; they are not defined by gender, ethnicity, family situation, education or income.
- Successful parent involvement nurtures relationships and partnerships. It strengthens bonds between home and school, parent and educator, parent and child, school and community.