Parent Trust in Teachers

When a doctor tells me I have an illness, I believe them. All it takes is a five-minute analysis, using a stethoscope, a weird-looking ear-examination thingy, and asking me to breathe in-and-out. After that, when they say, “you have Bronchitis, take this,” I do. When a lawyer tells me that I need to file this particular paperwork and go to court over that, I believe them. I trust the experience and expertise of a doctor, lawyer, electrician, and air-conditioning repairman. Their advice, remedy, cure is something I don’t question (very often), because I trust their ability to diagnose and have my best interests at heart.

As an educator I have seen the complete opposite from parents. I have worked in both an urban and suburban educational landscape and there are not many differences when it comes to this experience. For some reason, I can’t explain, parents believe they know best when it comes to educating their child. While I don’t disagree with this on some levels, I do challenge the blanket statement as a whole. Parents are right; they know their children better than I do. They spend more time and energy investing in their child’s development on a regular basis. I don’t challenge the parent’s expertise on their children. However, what society seems to forget about education is that, just like medicine and law, it is a science. A child’s developmental capacity is a science. Understanding the “how” and “why” is a science. I may not spend as much time with the child, but as an educational scientist and child development expert, I can understand how they are learning and why they are learning in that way.

There is a growing societal norm that parents should be in control of their child’s education. I completely agree…to a degree. A parent should be actively involved in their child’s education journey. They should have the power to make decisions on whether their child receives special assistance, extra support, and what direction they want their children to go in. I agree that parents have the final say, but they shouldn’t be given the authority to determine whether teachers are effective, whether a school is closed and if teachers lose their jobs. Parent trigger laws are not beneficial to the climate of education. It would be similar to giving me, a patient, the ability to fire a doctor or close their practice because they misdiagnosed my cold symptoms. The intricacy of a school is much greater than test scores. A teacher’s effectiveness is more than student test outcomes. Giving parents such a paramount right with little knowledge on the science of teaching and education is counterproductive.

As an educator, one of the most disheartening things I experience is when parents question my advice. For me, I step foot into a classroom because I love the children I am working with. I have spent countless hours and money on degrees and certifications to learn the science of teaching and child development. I consult with other experts before coming to a conclusion. I continue to develop my science, so I can be a better practitioner. When I advise a parent, I take into consideration every facet of their child’s wellbeing and future. My advice is not a random shot in the dark.

A parent once asked me, “Why is my child not reading as fast as the other kids?” She seemed frustrated that my teaching wasn’t “effective” enough to help her child be the fastest or best reader in class. Contrary to test scores and standardization, not all kids will grow at the same rate. Every child is different. I can employ the same teaching methods for every child and they all will receive varying levels of success. Just the same, every child learns to talk and walk at different paces, none less smart or successful.

My advice to parents, the best way to help your child get the best education possible is rally for your teacher. Trust their desire to give your child the best education possible and do whatever it takes to make them successful. Also, throw out the notion that standardized tests have any merit. I firmly believe that they test a child’s ability to take tests, not what they know and how educated they are. Educators, like myself, enter the profession to serve our children and their families. With that motive our ultimate goal is to grow the child developmentally, academically and socially as much as we can. Just like your doctors, trust that we are competent and are making decisions informed by academic insight and professional experience.

**Parent trigger laws are becoming more popular around the nation. They allow parents to sign a petition to close their community public school and open a charter school in its place. The teachers are fired from their positions, the school is labeled “failing” and parents, within a short time, can “turnaround” their child’s school. Instead of creating a divide between parents and teachers, we should be creating laws that strengthen partnerships and promote school success. How many times will parents “turnaround” a school before addressing the global issues that plague their communities? Firing some teachers and getting a new school name doesn’t solve education inequity.