Let's talk: McKinley teachers, parents want a welcoming climate

At a small, friendly school, some ingredients for strong parent partnerships are in place

by Cristina Gutiérrez

As a small school with a friendly, “family” feeling, McKinley School in North Philadelphia has some of the key ingredients in place to produce a high level of parent involvement.

The Home and School Association at McKinley is active and serves as a way for parents to connect to the school, and teachers and administration see it as a dependable resource when help is needed from parents.

But even in a school like McKinley there are many challenges inhibiting parental involvement, and sometimes conflicts between parents and staff get in the way of positive collaboration.

So how can a school like McKinley maintain and strengthen a real partnership with its parents?

The Notebook brought together a group of teachers and staff, along with the Home and School president and a parent member to address this question, talk about what the school is doing well, and consider what else might be done.

Several participants observed that parent involvement at McKinley begins in Head Start. Tonya Dones, a special education teacher and parent of a McKinley student, recalled that Head Start teachers would regularly ask parents, “What are you doing today? Why don’t you stay for a little while? Why don’t you help us out?”

“The involvement begins there, and it just kind of trickles down,” she said.

Furthermore, practices like the school’s “open-door” policy facilitate positive relations between the school and parents.

But participants acknowledged that at times parents feel intimidated and uncomfortable approaching the teacher. Here the Home and School Association and the diversity of McKinley’s staff both play an important role. Parents may feel more comfortable speaking to Home and School President Gladys Ortiz or to a member of the paraprofessional staff.

Ortiz also indicated that sometimes parents misinterpret teachers’ decisions and actions. When an upset parent approaches her about a teacher, she puts the situation into perspective and encourages the parent to meet with that teacher.

The complex issue of parent-school communication must be worked on to strengthen the ties between parents and teachers, participants agreed.

Ingrid Diaz, a fourth grade teacher, observed that communication must go beyond calling home about behavior problems. She described a new approach she is applying this year – calling home not to complain, but to inform parents of their child’s positive accomplishments. She said that the moment they pick up the phone, parents expect a complaint, and when they hear what she has to say, “You can hear a smile over the phone.”

Some of McKinley’s teachers observed that they often encourage parents to come into the classroom, and said they were eager for parents to observe and understand what goes on. Opening up the classroom to parents allows them to learn how to help their children academically, they said.

While some parents take advantage of these invitations, of course others cannot or do not.

Maria Texidor, McKinley’s special education teacher, commented on the importance of flexibility in these situations. She said she understands that sometimes parents are not available because of conflicting schedules or may not even have easy access to telephones, but she maintains communication by exchanging notes.

“Some parents are not physically there, but they are with me,” she stated.