Are Informed Parents Dangerous?
“No! You don’t have permission to offer that parent workshop here. An informed parent is a dangerous parent!”
That’s what a principal said to one of my graduate students when she asked for permission to provide a workshop on IEP team procedures to her families. She was a special educator. During our course on Family Engagement she saw that most of her parents didn’t participate in IEP meetings (often didn’t even attend) because they didn’t understand the jargon. They also didn’t understand the procedures. She wanted to help.
Her principal voiced a concern that lurks in many schools.
More than once a school leader has told me they want to “get their ducks in a row” before they invite families in.
The fear underlying these concerns is the threat of families filing complaints related to violation of regulations and provision of services. It’s a real issue. Recent analysis found that US districts spent roughly $146.5 million on mediation, due process, and litigation activities to settle disputes between parents and school districts regarding the provision of services for a child who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
What does the research say?
For more than four decades, researchers have investigated the benefits of involving families in the education of their children. A substantial body of evidence confirms that when families and schools “partner in meaningful ways, children have more positive attitudes towards school, stay in school longer, have better attendance, and experience more school success” (US Dept of Education, 2015).
“Parental expectations (i.e., having high expectations for their children) and parental involvement (i.e., parents as active and knowledgeable participants in transition planning) have been identified as an evidence-based predictor of improved post-school outcomes for students with disabilities” (Pleet-Odle et al, 2016).
I contributed to a research project that analyzed responses from 25 parent advocates from across the country. We synthesized the findings into a list of seven strategies and 13 activities education professionals can use to promote families’ high expectations for post-school success. Learn more
We can’t achieve school improvement without our families!
This week, I’ll attend the National Family Engagement Summit.
The National Family Engagement Summit is organized into 2 days of hybrid sessions and 2 days of in-person sessions in Charlotte, North Carolina. I expect to learn from an impressive lineup of experts and network with visionary leaders from across the country. I interviewed several family engagement contacts made at these conferences for my Year 3 package: Inclusive School Communities. Clips of those interviews have already been uploaded to the course Video Gallery, but I’ll be on the lookout for others whose perspectives would be valuable for faculty committed to building Joyful Inclusion.
I’m excited that I’ll also be presenting at the conference - “Don’t Look Now, but the Special Education goal posts have moved!” Some of my audience participants will be special educators, but most will be family engagement enthusiasts who have minimal knowledge of special education. They’ll all be looking for new ideas for building stronger partnerships with families within their special education process.
When they return home, they may need to interact with individuals who hold the “dangerous parents” mindset. So my presentation will arm them with legal and evidence-based practice reasons for inviting families into partnership roles. I’ll share the Endrew F. Supreme Court decision and recent special education caselaw. You can access my handout here.
As usual, I invite your comments.
What are the biggest challenges to engaging families where you work? What methods do you use that work?
It will take all of us to create Inclusive School Communities where everyone - including students and families - contributes and belongs!
