ften the lone volunteer in her sons' classrooms, Amy Anderson used to make assumptions about the other, missing parents—that they didn't care, or that their priorities were somehow out of whack. That was before she met Lorelei.

Anderson and Lorelei were neighbors on a military base in Wichita Falls, Texas, whose boys were friendly in school. Once, as their sons played together, Lorelei commented that she admired Anderson for volunteering at the school and wished she could, too. Only she didn't think she belonged.   Read story >

Act Now! Tell Congress to Help Parents Be More Involved at School

The Family Medical Leave Enhancement Act would allow employees to take additional leave, including for parental involvement in their children's or grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities. Tell your representatives to support this bill.

A Portrait of Parental Involvement in Special Education

Special education teacher Elaine Mulligan has spent many hours on the phone, in parents’ living rooms and one-on-one with students outside of school to achieve the right level of family integration into the students’ day-to-day education.   Read story >

“I'd love to help, I just don't have the time.”

How many times have you heard that excuse? Now, you can you have a snappy comeback—tell your students' parents about "Three for Me," a PTA program proven to increase parental involvement.   Find out more >

 Resources

NEA Resources on Parental Involvement

Tools from Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships:

• Sample Tool: Family Involvement Job Description (PDF file)

• Ten Things Schools Can Do to Create Great Family-School Partnerships (PDF file)

• Sample Tool: Family Friendly School Checklist (PDF file)

National PTA Back to School Kit

Connect for Kids: Parent Involvement in Education

Council for Exceptional Children: Strategies to Increase Parental Involvement that Really Work

 Talk About It

How do you increase parental involvement?
Educators from around the country have innovative ideas about involving more of their students' parents in the education process. Read their ideas and share your own.

Parental Involvement in Middle and High School
Achieving effective parental involvement can be more difficult as students move from elementary to middle and high school. If you teach in an elementary school, do you have strategies for involving parents in their children's learning at school or at home that could be adapted for middle and high school teachers? If you're a middle or high school teacher, what strategies have worked for you?

Background Checks on Parent Volunteers?
With safety in mind, schools appropriately require criminal background checks and finger-printing of anyone volunteering with children as tutors, mentors, or coaches. But sometimes it's a hindrance to parents who want to be involved. Volunteers have to visit public safety offices, like police departments, and often have to pay a fee, which is $55 in Prince George's County, Maryland, for example. How can we balance these two very important needs—safety and involvement—and find a middle ground? Can we reach a middle ground? Share your thoughts on our discussion board.