Parents
Someone Should Run for School Board, Why Not You?
Let’s get this out of the way. Mark Twain’s famous joke: “In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.” Hardy, har, har. The rejoinder of this weekly column...
Parents
These Parent-Teacher Conferences Are Harder to Get Into Than a Jimmy Buffett Concert
First, a 30-minute student-led parent-teacher conference with one child’s homeroom teacher. Then, six five-minute conferences with another son’s individual subject teachers. And lastly, a 10-minute...
Parents
Here’s Why We Must Open Schools to Authentic Parent Partnership
When I taught first grade on the Navajo Nation, I’ll never forget when one of my fellow teachers—now my wife—wanted to host an event that welcomed our families to the school. The veteran educators...
Parents
The Three R’s of Parents Who Want to Raise Free Children
This week’s column has also been cross-posted over at our new sister blog, Project Forever Free. One of my favorite Gandhi quotes is, “There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal...
Parents
White Teacher, Here’s How You Can Successfully Partner With Black Families
The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference, and we were just wrapping up the Q&A. Then, a White woman...
Parents
Back to School, Back to Basics With Parent-Teacher Partnerships
The smell of education is in the air. Parents have bought uniforms and school supplies are packed up and ready to go. Teachers have completed their beginning of the year requirements, decorated their...