School-Parent Collaboration: A Labor of Love

Just take a deep breath. Relax. That’s it. This article is about collaborating with the school with the goal of improving your child’s educational experiences and achievements.
Imagine you want to talk to someone at your child’s school. It might be hard because maybe you didn’t enjoy school all that much when you were a student and you’re not sure who to talk to. Or perhaps you’re concerned about what you might hear about your child’s grades or behavior. That’s okay, just take another deep breath and keep relaxing. Schools are a little different now than when we were young. Schools in the 21st century actually welcome parent involvement. As you feel your inner calmness, focus on the fact that your child’s school really wants to work with you.
The word “collaborate” originally comes from Latin. It means “to labor together or work together.” Our school wants to work with you. It even has designated people (school counselors) available whose job descriptions include “collaborate with parents.” You can take advantage of the school counselor’s job description and contact him or her any time to begin working together. Of course, you can contact anyone at the school: the principal, teachers, or other administrative personnel. But personally, we think the school counselor is an excellent initial and ongoing contact for parents.
Sometimes, despite interesting school activities, it can be hard to find the energy to become involved in your children’s school. After a long day at work, it can be tough to get off the couch or find time among your many other household and parenting duties. It’s easy to let the opportunities slip away. It takes time, energy and often money for you to be involved in your children’s school activities.
Fortunately, the payoff to getting involved in your children’s school is significant. Research shows that parental involvement and collaboration with schools helps children perform better academically. When parents work with schools and school counselors, their children get more A’s and B’s and fewer C’s, D’s and F’s.
But that’s not all. When parents work with schools, their children tend to have greater social adjustment. They get along better with fellow students and teachers. They spend less time in the principal’s office and more time in the classroom. They communicate more effectively, and believe it or not, sometimes they do their homework more willingly.
However, parent-school collaboration requires tenacity because things don’t always go perfectly. Your child might be embarrassed to be seen with you, or the teachers or counselor or principal won’t recognize you. Both of these possibilities can leave people feeling disrespected and discouraged. The truth is, there’s no guarantee a good time will be had by all. But we’d like to urge you to hang in there. Parent-school collaboration takes time and work. But after all, that’s what the word means: to labor together.
As you work with your child’s school, something almost magical happens. You get to glimpse the remarkable. You might have to watch closely, but sometimes you get to see learning happening right in front of your eyes. And sometimes, as you sit by your child, you can see her trying just a little harder, and you know she’s more determined and confident, just because you’re sitting there, in the right place at the right time. Other times, you’ll see the sparkle in your son’s eye as he gets to show off a little for you. That sparkle makes you proud about getting off the couch and down to your child’s school. Your children (or even the school) may not say thanks directly. But if you get involved, you certainly will earn the school’s gratitude in the long run for being the kind of parent who cares enough to engage in the labor of love that we call parent-school collaboration.

Ms. Denise Al-Shammari
UAS Middle School Counselor