Opinion
Education Opinion

‘The Central Office Must Take The Lead’

By Lucretia Coates — October 05, 1994 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

School districts must do more than just say that parents are welcome to get involved in school programs. The central office must take the lead and set policies that demonstrate to both parents and educators that family involvement is a priority.

Many schools determine their priorities by what the central office considers important--the results of standardized tests in reading, math, and writing. There is no standardized test to measures a school’s efforts to involve parents.

So, many schools do little. Their administrative leaders fail to realize that effective family-involvement practices can improve student attendance, behavior, attitudes, and achievement.

To show that family involvement is a priority, school districts must set clear and definite goals for family-school cooperation. They must:

  • Provide staff training for schools to assist them in identifying effective practices that support students and the school’s program.
  • Provide ongoing technical support to schools.
  • Allow schools the necessary time to institutionalize successful practices.
  • And, most important, make efforts to forge links between home and school a vital part of the evaluation of administrators and teachers.

Once the district has made family involvement a priority, teachers and administrators will no longer need to be convinced of the importance of family and school partnerships. Their effectiveness will soon become apparent in improved student performance and behavior.

This special Commentary report—one in a series that will bring together leading thinkers and education policymakers to focus attention and frame the debate on a key issue—is being underwritten by a grant from the Philip Morris Companies Inc.
A version of this article appeared in the October 05, 1994 edition of Education Week as ‘The Central Office Must Take The Lead’

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Trending Education News
How well do you know the trending news in education? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.