Parents

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how parents and other family members interact with schools and their children’s education
A group of high school girls work together to solve an algebra problem during their precalculus class.
A group of high school girls work together to solve an algebra problem during their precalculus class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Mathematics Video Make Math Instruction Better: 3 Tips on How From Researchers
Education Week's Sarah D. Sparks shares three insights on improving math instruction from this year's AERA conference.
Sarah D. Sparks & Jaclyn Borowski, April 25, 2024
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1 min read
Irene Perez and Yolanda Cosio type in math equations on their calculators during their general education development class within the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024 in Denver. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
Irene Perez and Yolanda Cosio type in math equations on their calculators during their GED class held at the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024, in Denver. The Denver school district has six community hubs that provide a range of resources for families and students.
Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
Families & the Community Why This District Meets Parents at Home
Parent-teacher home visits are more than conferences. They're about forming trusting relationships.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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15 min read
Various school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
School representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district.
Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
Families & the Community 5 Ways to Get Parents More Involved in Schools
Schools don't need an influx of money and resources to have effective family engagement, experts say.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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9 min read
Emmanuel Trujillo-Beas, family liaison at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8, talks with other school liaisons during a group discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have served 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
Emmanuel Trujillo-Beas, family liaison at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8, talks with other school liaisons during a group discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024, in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has seen thousands of new students enroll this school year, many from families who recently arrived in the United States. The district has used a variety of strategies to build relationships with those families.
Rebecca Slezak for Education Week
Families & the Community Download DOWNLOADABLE: Best Practices for Building School-Family Relationships
Here are five ways to ensure schools are building trusting, long-lasting relationships with families.
Libby Stanford & Gina Tomko, April 25, 2024
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1 min read
North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024.
North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024. For the past nine years, Brewer has hosted an after-school program for local families of students with disabilities where students receive tutoring from special education teacher candidates while Brewer teaches their parents to advocate for their kids.
Alex Boerner for Education Week
Families & the Community Should Working With Families Be a Core Skill for Teachers?
Just half of educator preparation programs offer a course on parent and family engagement.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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12 min read
Genesis Olivio and her daughter Arlette, 2, read a book together in a room within the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024 in Denver. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
Genesis Olivio and her daughter Arlette, 2, read a book together on March 13, 2024, in a room that's part of the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School in Denver. The Denver district has six community hubs at schools across the city that offer different services and resources for parents.
Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
Families & the Community What the Parents' Rights Movement Forced Schools to Do
Parents and caregivers are paying more attention than ever. Here's what that means for schools.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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10 min read
Parents log into Zoom to watch their students participate in a “Basic Facts Bee” on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich. Schools often use technology like Zoom to connect and build relationships with parents.
Parents log into Zoom to watch their students participate in a “Basic Facts Bee” on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich. A number of technology-based tools have emerged in recent years that make it easier for schools to communicate with parents.
Sam Trotter for Education Week
Families & the Community The Good (and the Bad) of Using Apps to Connect With Parents
Tech platforms are changing the way teachers communicate with families.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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12 min read
Parents take photos of their children during a Black History Month program at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Parents take photos of their children during a Black History Month program at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Samuel Trotter for Education Week
Families & the Community How a School Made Parents Central to Its Turnaround
A strategy to constantly bring parents into the school has been central to rising achievement at a Detroit-area elementary school.
Libby Stanford, April 25, 2024
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16 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor We Mustn’t Downplay the Dangers of the Right and Far Right
A letter to the editor argues that an opinion essay minimizes the dangers of politics on the right.
April 16, 2024
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1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor Understanding Those on the Right
A reader shares that she was happy to see the publication of an opinion essay.
April 16, 2024
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1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor Don’t Politicize Parenting. We Need Bridges, Not Fences
"I saw no solutions here or a desire to be a partner in bridging the gap," says this letter to the editor about an opinion essay.
April 16, 2024
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1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor Be Careful About What You Publish
A letter to the editor pushes back against a recent opinion essay.
April 16, 2024
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1 min read
Workflow, Teamwork, Education concept. Team, people, colleagues in company, organization, administrative community. Corporate work, partnership and study.
Paper Trident/iStock
School & District Management Opinion 3 Steps for Culturally Competent Education Outside the Classroom
It’s not just all on teachers; the front office staff has a role to play in making schools more equitable.
Allyson Taylor, April 15, 2024
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5 min read
Photo of distracted high school students in class.
E+ / Getty
Teaching Student Apathy Is a Big Classroom Challenge, Teachers Say. Cellphones Aren’t Helping
The distractions of cellphones compound a general lack of interest in learning, a new national survey of teachers shows.
Madeline Will, April 4, 2024
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6 min read
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