Parents who are frustrated
with education these days
might speak up if they had
more time or understood
the issues better. This year, vow to
educate yourself about all sides of
the debates, and then wade in some-
where. Here are ten basics to get
you started.
BE AN INFORMED VOTER. Pay
attention to local and state school
board elections. These folks are (or
should be) managing your child's
learning and millions of your tax
dollars. Find out what each candidate
believes about education. Make a list
of what you think is important and
use it as your guide. These folks can
have tremendous clout and are
supposed to represent you.
LEARN THE LINGO. All
education ideas sound good –
that's why educators have their own
jargon. Nobody understands all
they entail, except insiders. Learn
the buzz words and their implica-
tions. As you learn the jargon,
you’ll discern trends, patterns and
agendas.
LISTEN TO ALL SIDES.
Understand the basic education
war between traditional and progres-
sive agendas. This comes down to
what schools should teach first:
reading, writing, arithmetic? Or
global citizenship, job skills and self-
esteem? Can we do it all? We’ve
been trying. Think it's working? Ask
a good teacher who's supposed to
cram a dozen things into a short
day. You'll find radically different
interpretations of the same thing.
BECOME TECHNO-LITERATE.
Electronic technology is dramati-
cally changing how kids live and
learn. Learn to take an active role in
the way it is used at home and at
school. Use the Internet yourself. It’s
the quickest, easiest way to find
education organizations.
UNDERSTANDING ISSUES.
If you’d rather be flogged than
read policy-wonk stuff, wade in
gently on a single topic that interests
you. These inevitably will lead you
to major reforms such as academic
standards, school choice and more.
You’ll find people who believe these
are the greatest things since sliced
bread and others who believe it
threatens everything Americans hold
dear. Whatever you believe, they’re
important debates because they
involve what kids will learn in
school and who will decide.
KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS.
You can affect rules that control
schools at local, state and national
levels by speaking up to your elected
representatives. Know who they are
and call or write them about educa-
tion issues you care about.
JOIN OR START A PARENT
GROUP. There are hundreds of
groups focused on helping parents
improve schools. Some work within
the system and help parents hold
schools to high standards. Other
local groups focus on tax reform,
school choice, special education, etc.
READ PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Open Records laws give you
the right to review all kinds of school
documents from meeting minutes to
lesson plans. It’s not easy to get
them, but it can be done. Read orig-
inal documents whenever possible,
instead of press releases.
COMPLAIN WISELY AND
GROW A THICK SKIN.
Vigilant, assertive parents may take
a lot of heat when they buck the
status quo. Administrators, even
school boards, may put you on the
defensive, make you look foolish or
uninformed. Learn from others who
do their homework and present
arguments so they're heard. Never
wing it. Be polite, but be persistent.
TAKE HEART. Grass-roots
school reform is not for
wimps. Setbacks go with the terri-
tory. Find support and encourage-
ment from others with the same
goals. Don’t give up easily. You
don't have to win the war; just be
faithful to your ideals on your watch.
Schools and kids need you.
Ten Ways to Become a School Activist
BY LINDA CAGNETTI, DEPUTY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW • Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
NONPROFIT ORG.
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MIAMI, FL 331
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