Parent Involvement In Schools, Who are The Hardest To Involve Parents?

Parents approach the school experience based upon their
experience from their own education. If that experience
was positive, then they are likely to take a positive approach
to their child’s school. These parents tend to feel comfortable at
school, and some take active and visible roles in the children’s
education.

The group of hardest-to-involve parents includes those whose
school experiences have made them cautious, suspicious, and
distrustful when coming into the schools. It also includes parents
who face other barriers in becoming more involved.

These parents may be poor, employed in low-paying jobs with no time
off, or unemployed. They may have transportation, medical, or
childcare problems. They may not speak English as their first language,
have limited literacy skills, or have limited educations.
They may have had distasteful experiences with social services
agencies and see the schools as part of that experience.

As educators, we must do all that we can to proactively reach out to these "Hardest to Involve Parents. They will not show up to conferences or school events until they feel

• comfortable
• appreceiated
• and
• respected.

Communicating with parents by doing one of the following such as;

• Sending a flyer home
• Putting an article in the school newsletter
• Sending a note home
• Getting another parent to contact them

Won't work!

Nope, none of these ideas work!

But these methods used together will make a big difference in parents involvement in school, even the hard to involve.

More Ideas