OR #1: Platform 9 and 3/4: Schools and the Lack of Communication to the Outside

When reading the article “Involving Parents and the Community” by Samway & McKeon (2007), a lot of the information  presented was not a surprise to me. I don’t know if that is because I have teachers in my family that have experienced and expressed difficulties with involving ELL parents/guardians, or if perhaps because I have already read about and discussed the matter earlier in my classes. The portions that did stick out to me however, were those that offered solutions to a prominent problem in education’s communication with parents/guardians and the community.

For example, the first section of the article argues that Menacker, Hurwitz, and Weldon’s (1988) four categories of parent involvement (listed on pp.163-164) do not include two roles that parents/guardians can assume- the roles of Expert and Collaborator. Instead, we (educators and administrators) are often under the assumption that we must be the connecting piece, the central station for all exchanges of information and knowledge. However, Samway & McKeon argue that it is vital for us to remember that our students’ families and their community are just as valuable and rich in the knowledge these students need, and that it is worth our efforts to become acquainted with them and develop a symbiotic relationship in which all parties benefit (Adger 2000: Callanan, Alba-Speyer, and Tenenbaum 2000; Huss-Keeler 1997; Moll 1992 qtd in Samway & McKeon ,2007, p.164).

I believe that many times the fallacy that counteracts this information, that educators of must be the middle-man between the outside culture and the school, may very well be what harm schools the most. I feel like many teacher’s make every communication effort about them. What is easiest for them? What will take up less of their time? How will they feel after speaking to a parent that may or may not agree with them? Followed by many more self-centered questions. I believe we should make more effort to make education less about us and our ambitions as educators and more about our students, and about their present obstacles and their future goals and dreams. In my opinion, if a teacher isn’t there for the students, then they shouldn’t be in the school at all.

After reading that the district in Seattle’s website was available in eight languages other than English (Samway & McKeon, 2007, p.171), I went to my placement school’s website, and was met with a pleasant surprise that I had overlooked every time I had accessed it (which is quite a lot!). The website has a Translate tab powered by google translate, so that all tabs and school delivered links are translated into the selected language. The only flaw I could see was that the student submitted articles and notes were not translated as well. I plan to talk to my MT about this and find out who is in charge of updating our school website. Once I figure out who that is, I would like to brainstorm on possible ways to get those translated as well. The text gave me ideas for that as well. Perhaps I can talk to the head of WSU’s Foreign Language Department and see what options are available to us there? Or perhaps the parents of our students who are bi-lingual in both English and a foreign language (Vietnamese and Spanish primarily) would be willing to become involved in this way? In either case, I plan to take some sort of action to further involve the community my placement is apart of and the parents of my students.