Monthly Archives: May 2012

This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter

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Guest Post by Joe Mazza

#PTchat 5-9-12 – “Parents Ask Mock Interview Questions of New & Experienced Teachers”

Exciting news! This Wednesday, May 9th at *8PM EST, #PTchat will team up with #NTchat (New Teacher Chat) during the one hour chat. Some of our parent participants have already submitted questions they’d like to pose to new and experienced teachers – some having to do with family engagement and some designed to share the perspective from home on what they look for in teachers for their children.

If you are a parent and are interested in submitting a questions to be asked on the chat, please email Joe here. If you are an educator, we invite you to take part in articulating your answers to these questions Wednesday night. Join us for this lively weekly discussion!

**Special Time 8PM EST/5PM PST

Past #PTchats have been archived on Joe Mazza’s eFACE Today blog.Past #NTchats are archived here.

U.S. “Survey finds parent-teacher relationships strong–Teachers given grade of “A””

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Hot on the heels of a survey of British parents, Parenting Magazine and the National Education Association have announced the results of a survey of U.S. parents and teachers.

You can read a full summary at Survey finds parent-teacher relationships strong–Teachers given grade of “A.”

Here’s how it begins:

Parenting magazine and the National Education Association today announced the results of a groundbreaking joint survey* of 1,000 public school parents and educators that explored the roadblocks to effective parent-teacher communication. When parents were asked to “grade” their relationship with their child’s teachers, nearly half (45 percent) gave the teachers an “A,” with the majority on both sides categorizing the relationship as “great” and “open.”

Despite the strong relationships, the survey revealed that the two sides differ on some key issues. Sixty-eight percent of teachers reported difficulty in dealing with parents. A similar percentage of parents–63 percent–reported they’d never had difficulty with teachers. More than one-quarter of parents stated their biggest challenge has been teachers’ perceived lack of understanding for their concerns, while one in three teachers cited parents’ lack of understanding of their child’s issues as their biggest challenge.

Survey Of British Parent Attitudes Toward School

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The BBC just published the results of a survey of British parents’ attitudes toward school (see Parents ‘more involved in children’s schools’). Here’s how it begins:

Parents believe they are more involved in their children’s education than their own parents were – and that children now have more opportunities in school, suggests a survey.

The survey for the National Association of Head Teachers looked at how parents viewed their children’s schooling.

Almost three quarters believed they were more engaged with their children’s school than the previous generation.

Head teachers’ leader Russell Hobby said the results were “heartening”.

Mr Hobby said the poll of over 1,000 parents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland suggested the schools were “welcoming places”.

Order A Free Copy Of “Parent Power” Film (Or Watch It Online)

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The Annenberg Institute for School Reform has produced the film “Parent Power” and is offering a copy of it, along with a “viewers guide” for free, though they are charging $10 for shipping and handling. You can also view it online for free.

You can order it here.

Here’s how they describe it:

Through the voices of parents, this film chronicles fifteen years of effective parent organizing for education reform in New York City – organizing that has stopped budget cuts, increased school funding, and led to the adoption of a citywide lead teacher program. The goal of Parent Power is to provide an example of successful education organizing to urban-based community groups looking for organizational inspiration and practical guidance in their own efforts to support, demand, and sustain equitable reforms in their own public schools. A Viewer’s Guide, designed to enhance community groups’ use of the film in their own education organizing efforts, accompanies the film. One free copy is available for an individual or organization Please note: All orders wil be charged $10 shipping and handling.

In addition to watching it online for free (it’s embedded below), you can download the viewers guide for free, too.

“‘Won’t Back Down’: Parent Trigger Gets the Hollywood Treatment”

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The parent trigger has become irrelevant in real life as it suffers defeat after defeat. However, that hasn’t stopped conservative financiers from bankrolling a movie with big stars that portray it as a success.

You can read all about it at ‘Won’t Back Down’: Parent Trigger Gets the Hollywood Treatment.

The New York Times also wrote about the movie earlier this year.