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Parent Guide: Questions About Public School Today
America’s public schools play an important role in preparing today’s children for productive lives in a changing world. The quality and effectiveness of our schools are topics of importance to every community, and of particular interest to parents of school-age children.
As parents, you no doubt care a great deal about the type and quality of education your children receive. Scholarly research demonstrates clearly that school quality increases with parental involvement. Of all the people involved in your child’s education, you have the largest investment and the greatest potential impact.
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Your involvement can take many forms — talking with your child about school, volunteering in the classroom, serving on committees — as your child progresses through school. Today’s educational climate is hot, with many issues such as testing, standards, and school vouchers being discussed and contested. When you think about your own position in regard to the many issues under debate today, it can be helpful to step back and consider some broader questions about the purpose of public education and who guides its direction.
This guide is designed to help you think about the different aspects of public education. Consider how the issues raised in these key questions might affect the schools in your community and your child’s education. The guide offers information and questions for you to consider and focuses on the following areas:
- What is the purpose of public education?
- Who makes large decisions affecting your child’s education?
- What do we really know about student achievement and school performance, and how do we find out more?
- Who is delivering information on student achievement, and what is their motivation?
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