On Top of the News
In D.C., A Radical Shift in Parent Involvement
The Boston Globe | 3/28/2016
Behind the Headline
Teacher Home Visits
Education Next | Summer 2016
In the Boston Globe, Michael Levenson describes how schools in Washington, D.C. are trying to involve parents in their children’s education in new ways, beginning with visits by teachers to the homes of the students before school even starts, and continuing with a series of specialized parent-teacher meetings that focus not on report cards but on how parents can support their children’s learning.
He writes
In Washington, the effort was spurred by a growing body of evidence showing that when teachers and parents trust one another and work together, students tend to earn higher grades and test scores, have fewer absences, and exhibit better social skills.
To build that kind of collaboration, however, schools like Beers, which is predominantly African-American and low-income, must break down deep-seated layers of mistrust between parents and teachers and administrators. That begins with shattering the assumption that parents who don’t attend school functions like PTA meetings simply don’t care about their children’s education.
In an article in the new issue of Education Next, June Kronholz takes a close look at “Teacher Home Visits.” She explores the development of home visit programs, describes how the visits work, and talks with teachers and administrators about their views of the program.
– Education Next
