The Parent-School Partnership: Practical Applications

As the summer weeks wind down, our attention shifts from a well-earned break  to the upcoming new school year. In parents’ preparation, a major consideration should be your relationship with your children’s school.

To begin, for those who find the notion of partnership with the school as a foreign concept, HaRav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, Z”L speaks to the point in his writings, explaining its source is the Torah itself. I ask you to contemplate this potentially powerful  chinuch tool for the sake of your children.

What are some of the expectations of parents as partners? They  can differ from parent to parent and from school to school. The uniqueness of each family and school places a different emphasis on educational process and outcome. As such, expectations for both stakeholders can vary. Because effective partnerships require a thorough understanding of each other, it’s worthwhile for families and schools to create mission statements and core values and share them with each other. 

There are generic expectations as well that hold true for most families and schools, especially those who associate with Torah day schools and Yeshivas.  Listed below are four areas that parents can focus on to enhance their relationship with the school.

1.    Create a home environment that encourages learning by:

Expressing the importance of education by action and talk

By showing honor to those who represent its importance through their lives.

Identifying locations in the home that are identified as study places

Identifying set times that are study times when most if not all family members are engaged in study

2. Speak to children regularly about school:

 Ask them specific questions about academics, social, behavior, religious practice and other aspects of school life. 

Express high expectations for children’s effort, achievement and goals, each one according to his/her unique profile.

3.Become a communicative partner with the school:

Respond in a timely fashion to all school generated communications

Become more involved in the school by attending school-sponsored lectures for parents, workshops and other programs encouraged by the school.

Volunteer in school. Every parent has skills and talents that will be a benefit and every private school has seemingly endless needs.

4. Recognize that as parents, you are the experts in who your children are.  Share the knowledge with the school. The more teachers and administrators know the more effective they will be with their students and the more successful and happy the children will be.

Needless to say, there are great benefits to having parents involved in their children’s schools.  The benefits run the gamut, parents, teachers, the school and especially the children gain significantly. In a future article, I will share a list of the benefits with you.

For guidance in implementing these ideas or for any aspect of parenting, teaching and leadership in the realm of education, please contact me.