Schools learn to roll out red carpet for parents is an article from the Boston Globe highlighting a program where schools are learning about how to make parents feel welcomed through training from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain.

The ideas shared are actually pretty good small gestures, like giving a nametag to parents visiting a school with the word “Parent” on it instead of “Visitor.” However, the problem is that it’s all window-dressing focused on looking at parents as “customers” instead of as “parents.”

In other words, these actions give the illusion of “engagement” when, in reality, they barely stretch to “involvement.”