Why is it important for parents to know what is happening at their children's schools, and especially in their own children's classrooms?

It is
important for parents to know what is happening at their childrens school, and in the classroom,
because it is precisely in those locations where their children will spend much of their lives. 
Once children leave home and enter the classroom, they come under the influence of teachers,
principals, administrators, coaches, and other students.   It is extremely important for parents
to know as much as they can about to what their children are exposed. 

Any
parent concerned about the quality of his or her childrens education is interested in how the
school those children attend is managed and resourced, and how their childrens teachers respond
to questions from the parents as well as from the students. Absent a willingness to remain
engaged with the school, a parents ability to influence the direction of the childs education
and to address issues or problems that may be having a negative influence on their children is
minimal.  Such issues as class size €“ an increasing problem in many public school districts €“
the number of hours devoted to athletics, the arts, and library visits, the quality of the food
served in the cafeteria, the school districts requirements with regard to reading lists, and
more are central to childrens education and well-being.  How problem students, for example,
bullies, are handled by the schools administrators has a direct bearing on how many parents feel
about sending their children to a particular school.  How responsive the schools principal is to
comments and suggestions by parents can influence how parents view the school and the quality of
education their children receive.  All of these issues and question can only be answered through
sustained commitment to remaining involved in the school.

Most parents want
to know what their childrens classroom are like, and attend orientation meetings at the
beginning of school years to meet the childrens teachers and to have an opportunity to ask
questions regarding issues of concern, including how much individual attention each student
receives €“ again, an increasingly pressing issue for many parents given the growth in class
sizes €“ and whether their children will be able to socialize with established friends during
the course of the day.  With class sizes growing beyond manageable proportions, many schools are
increasingly dependent upon parent volunteers to help tutor students one-on-one and to act as
monitors in the cafeteria and on the playground. 

Parents who are most
willing, and able, to devote time to their childrens school often join the Parent-Teacher
Association (PTA) and/or choose to run for a position on the schools board (in the case of
private schools).  It is through these bodies that concerns regarding systemic problems at a
school can be addressed, while individual consultations with teachers can help resolve or
explain problems specific to the classroom.  It is up to the parents, though, to prioritize
school issues €“ admittedly not always easy for many families, especially when both parents are
working.