One traditional type of engagement that has proven to be effective is communication. Establishing communication between the three parties, namely teachers, students, and parents, allows one to create a friendly and motivating atmosphere for students within the school setting (Epstein et al., 2018). While the goal of such two-way communication is noble, which is improving student performance and creating a non-conflict and flourishing learning environment, such dialogue always requires losing some privacy for the pupils. Experts say that “privacy is essential for teens to gain autonomy and individuality” (Witmer, 2022, para. 1). The question is, is communicating as a type of involvement not very effective for climate building for high school students as it interferes with their privacy and undermines the development of their understanding of autonomy, independence, and responsibility?
Volunteering is another type of engagement that goes beyond communication and provides direct interaction between three key parties: educators, parents, and pupils. There is a lack of human resources for school volunteering activities, specifically father figures, as “nearly 18.5 million children grow up without their fathers” (Owens, 2022, para. 1). The question is, is it possible that volunteering will disappear as one of the main types of involvement or be incorporated into another one due to the American fatherhood crisis and the growing number of one-parent families?
Decision-making, also called Type 5 by education professionals, is another conventional strategy for building an improved learning environment. Educators and school workers have faced significant challenges in implementing this method in recent decades as tensions between parents and teachers have risen sharply due to various reasons, including conflicting personal values and American domestic politics (Heller, 2022). Is it possible to create such dialogue within the framework of Type 5 that would allow educators and parents to make effective decisions and avoid the influence of internal politics and national ideological conflicts?
References
Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Sheldon, S. B., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., Van Voorhis, F. L., Martin, C. S., Thomas, B. G., Greenfield, M. D., Hutchins, D. J., & Williams, K. J. (2018). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Heller, R. (2022). Parents and teachers: In sync or at odds? Kappan. Web.
Owens, B. (2022). America’s crisis is a lack of fathers. Fox News. Web.
Witmer, D. (2022). Why teens need privacy from their parents. Verywell Family. Web.