Low SES Parents Still have High Expectations

From Moral to Struggling

Reading the Auerbach article brought to light many issues I have witnessed working in two very different public school settings. In the first, where almost all families were affluent, the parents involvement was incredible. In some cases to the point of being "helicopter parents". Working now in a more economically diverse school setting, the parents range from the terms used in the article of being moral supporters, ambiguous companions, and struggling advocates. I thought a lot about how the article stresses that educators hold too much of the power and priority in parent-school involvement. That we expect as teachers, for parents to come to us always and to heed our requests and demands of their children. Looking back I can see and feel strongly that this system is unfair to both the parents and their children. A lot of parental support does not need to be at a face to face with us as we work. Meeting half way where some teacher to parent conference happens on neutral ground or parent safe locations might improve how these parents of low SES view the school their child attends.

"Parents of color and schools are often separated by cultural divides as well as by legacies of racism, deficit thinking, and mutual distrust."

Reflecting on this article I thought about the table that was illustrated later in the Auerbach article. When it asked all 11 families with 16 parents total, only one felt it was a positive to actually meet with the teacher. Knowing that many of their children's teachers will be white, most of these parents probably view us as obstructive forces to their child's,our student's, educational future. Because we as white, educated, professionals possess the social agency we should advocate more of a positive relationship with these parents and to do so it might be necessary for me as a teacher to accept the varying roles parents take in supporting their children and not condemn them for it.

Beyond the Bake Sale

I couldn't agree more with this article's emphasis on after school programs for enriching the local community a school supports. Working with many after school programs myself, where they ranged from academic to sports, I have seen first hand the impact it has on raising students success in school as well as building a more positive relationship with the parents. Many parents extol us for our work with their children while they are in school but I have been given most of the acclaim parents have given me on account of what I do when I am not being paid. After school free tutoring provided a more 1to1 relationship for me and the students I worked with and parents enjoyed that they kids went voluntarily and that they were gaining academic skills that would eventually help them be independent of the tutoring. The parents also felt like they could play a role in this process and I found that they enjoyed that the most.