The concern expressed in the article over the digital divide where only select parents have access to information is a red herring. While it is true that 100% of parents will not be “well connected”, the 80 – 90% who are connected have the potential to come to more balanced, democractic decisions than the 2% who used to have all the power.

All that said, I think the greatest potential for online communication tools is to have parents more engaged in the everyday workings of schools and classrooms. Providing parents a connection to what our children are learning everyday and drawing us into the learning equation is where the best potential for true change exists.

Some positive examples of parents working collaboratively for change can be found at the Parents as Partners website (www.ourschool.ca) or through the People for Education Ning (www.schools-at-the-centre.ning.com)

The hot topics these very small and vocal groups of parents are all hot and bothered about right now in our district (we are the focus of the reporter’s story) are school start times for high school students and the grading scale. Both are relatively superficial issues which will likely do little to improve student learning (both sides have their studies!). But every little point counts when you’re trying to get your kid into Harvard.

I would much rather see these parents put their energies into pushing for changes in the actual process of how we teach kids as well as the largely outdated and increasingly irrelevant curriculum, both of which are at the heart of American schools. Organizing to challenge the educational malpractice behind No Child Left Behind would be nice as well but that could be too much to ask.

Yes, that is how our Board of Education & administrators characterize the Maryland Constitution – as misinformation. Our school system says that the document is old and out of date and therefore they are able to disregard the Constitutional mandate that student’s be supplied a free public education.

Thank goodness for websites, blogs and Internet search capabilities so that parents all over the county can access the Constitution for themselves! Parents can then walk into their local schools armed with the law when presented with bills for their child’s attendance in public school classes. Parents in Montgomery County, Maryland now know that they are entitled to a free public education, even when the school administrators say otherwise.

http://educon21.wikispaces.com/211-4

Here’s a link to the information that framed our discussion.

http://www.ijohnpederson.com/2009/01/25/network-learning-manifesto-revisited/

As a 21st Century Parent of 21st century kids, I agree with the comment about 20th century approaches. I get so frustrated that my kid does his own YouTube videos about books he is reading and yet is told he doesn’t turn his homework in well enough. Also, could I please get said homework online somewhere so I can print it if…scratch that… when he loses it.

As a 21st century Teacher and edutechnologist I do wonder about the value of expertise. I have spent a lot of time doing my very best to become the very best teacher and educator I know how and to have uninformed (sometimes) parents wag the dog is frustrating, however, I have been on the other side when no matter what we did to try to adopt a new (and I believe better) approach it was stonewalled by administrators and school boards. Our world it is a changin’ and all of us will have to reevaluate our work based on this new very public commentary on said work.

There are a couple of things that can turn this into a royal pain.

Time to respond to EVERY one’s problem is hard to come by. Please don’t treat everyone like they have several secretaries and all the time in the world.

Occasionally, some of my ideas need some constructive criticism and I am OK with that. I just don’t want to be bullied by a stampede of half informed parents that haven’t fully studied the idea.

I guess the world has changed. Be very clear about what you are doing and be clear up-front. Or as they say, “There is a fine line between leading the parade and being run out of town.”

Do these technologies and online abilities give parents too much control/too loud a voice/too much influence/too much whatever? I’m a teacher and future parent (he comes at the end of May) so I only have one view of this right now, but I worry about a “put parents in charge” mentality (isn’t there a law with that moniker? Or is it “put patients in charge”?).

For whatever reason, I dislike the word “shareholders” but that is a fairly accurate description of what we are. But, are we all equal shareholders? Should we be equal shareholders? Should the (hopefully) experts that are trained to educate have more influence than parents? Should the parents who perceive a larger personal stake in the outcome have more influence?

I think that as a society we equate the ability to educate with the ability to parent–I have a child therefore I know about education. I don’t think that’s true. Educators are trained professionals with a specialized skill set like any other trained professional. Theoretically, the trained professionals should have better ideas on what’s good for education within a community (better ideas–not only ideas, not best ideas, not perfect ideas). I know that a top-down system that tells parents “the way it’s going to be” isn’t productive or practical in the education system, but I’m also confident that I know more about assessment, pedagogy, management, motivation, etc etc etc than most parents.

I guess that I’m wondering how much influence well-connected individuals should have versus well-trained professionals.

Talk to me in 3 months and I might feel differently.

You know, I like the idea of parents holding schools more accountable and using digital tools to do so—after all, we are funded by taxpayer dollars. The community SHOULD have the right to a larger voice.

I wonder if some of the controversy would be removed if schools did a better job communicating on their own. I find in our district that the only time things get controversial and heated is when our district hasn’t been aggressive enough about making their thinking on key issues transparent.

Misinformation and confrontation really only starts and spreads in a vacuum, after all.

In the end, it seems like this is yet another example of a situation where proactive steps could help schools to stay out of situations where they have to spend time, energy and resources reacting.

And, sadly, we’ve always been better at reacting!

Whaddya’ think?
Bill

The Stock Mark Report
http://drmarkstock.com linked to Scott’s post