Sometimes, it is not how good an
improvement program is, but how
well it is understood that matters.
Parents are likely to resist change
that takes them outside their comfort
zone. There is a general sentiment
that when it comes to the education
of our children, it is better to live
with the existing system with all its
problems than to “experiment” with
new ideas. The only way to
overcome this fear is by working
closely with the parents so that they
develop a real understanding for the
need to change and then become
active partners in the change
process.
Parent involvement in New Paradigm
schools goes far beyond typical
voluntary efforts of the school PTA.
With the proliferation of charter
schools, parents are increasingly
becoming involved in developing
schools from scratch. One great
example of a parent-inspired school
is the Avalon School in Minneapolis.
The other is the Discovery 1 School
in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Neither one of these schools looks or
feels like a traditional school. Neither
has “classrooms” and almost all the
learning at these schools is rigorous
and experiential.
But parent influences can be
significant even when the traditional,
government-sponsored school
development model is followed. The
award-winning Reece Community
School in Tasmania, Australia, whose
planning was led by the State
Department of Education, was
heavily influenced by parents.
Parents played an important role in
the committees established to
develop this school. Not surprisingly,
the Reece School practices a
majority of the strategies identified
in this report.15 New Paradigm
schools see parents as legitimate
partners in the way schools are
managed and run, and this is one of
the key factors in their success.