Sunday, January 4, 2009
Child Advocacy
Please share your experiences in advocating to have your child's needs met within the Cheltenham School District. For example, has your child been moved to a higher or lower level as a result of your request to a teacher, counselor or other staff person? Do you receive timely information about the progress or problems of your child after you have notified the school that you would like to be told of any issues?
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This presumes that advocacy is a normal part of parent involvement or that it might even be required. Is it? Should parents -- in addition to providing a safe, loving, supportive, and enriching home environment -- also have to be a direct voice to a school to get what is required for their children to flourish? Advocacy would seem to short-circuit a defined process of student evaluation, needs assessment, and the subsequent implementation of processes and practices needed to meet those needs in a cost-effective manner. Should our education system be driven by a "squeaky-wheel" syndrome where the loudest, most articulate, most influential parents get what is needed for their children while other children don't? In today's system, advocacy seems to be more the norm than the exception. Is that right and should we question a system that relies on short-circuiting processes to meet our community's and our students' educational needs?
It is certainly fair and expected for parents to ask what their children are being instructed about (but not necessarily how they are begin educated), to understand the specific issues related to their child's performance, and to determine how they can effectively support their child's education with resources at home. Parents should expect a response to these questions, but this is not advocacy -- just responsibility and good parent involvement.
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