Challenges of Parental Involvement in PPS

Since becoming involved in PPS as a parent and listening to how other parents talk about PPS I am impressed by a couple of things. First, how much distrust there is in the school system. Parents don't trust teachers to look out for the best interest of their kids. They don't trust the administration to place qualified principals and teachers. They don't trust PPS to fund the school. In an effort to engage in school reform PPS needs to work on building trust among parents.

Teachers and administrators seem distrustful of parents. Parents and students empowered by a market mentality of please me I am your customer have forced teachers and administrators to cater more to parents and students desires. Teachers are now in the business of selling knowledge and their skills every day. I am sure teachers and administrators realize that the private sector model of education has caught on and parents for better or worse have began to see schools as business from which they demand a product - their educated child or else. Given society's increasing acquiescence to the market as a force to determine every aspect of our lives parents and even kids have more power. However, it would seem that this market model of education has only increased distrust in the system in general. We need a new model. One that is ensures an open and trusting relationship between the schools and their communities.

One way that PPS might increase trust is to demonstrate in very clear terms how parent input has made a change in how PPS is run. There are multiple moments in this reform process when parents are asked to share their insights but there is never any direct accounting for how this input has been used in final decisions. A careful accounting needs to be made of how final choices are made. Part of the problem here is that too often there seems to be too great of a burden of responsibility of schools on the Superintendent. In the 1980's decentralization was a hot concept. Given what I am currently seeing in PPS I still think it is a good idea. PPS needs to do a better job decentralizing decision making to the schools and communities themselves.

Finally, parents need to get better organized district wide. When considering both district initiatives like the high school reform or even the daily running of schools, fund raising, interaction with teachers, relationship with PPS administration parents need to be working together. Regular meetings among PTAs might be a useful way to accomplish this. At least greater cooperation amongst PTA in the cluster of elementary, junior high schools grouped around the various high schools.