Parents and Schools: Who's Responsible, Who's Capable

The extended school day that is part of more and more schools (both low income and affluent) rests somewhat on the assumption that the days of Mrs. Cleaver being home ready with the milk and cookies when Beaver arrives are over.  Nowadays schools are asked to fulfill the "Cleaver" role, the one who takes responsibility for doing traditional parenting tasks such as homework, after-school snack, physical activitiy, etc. If in the good old days there was little question about primary socialization agent, family over  school, in today's world, that relationship is not nearly so clear in its hierarchy.  It begs the question about whether or nor schools are capable of meaningfully assuming this additional responsibility--and to what extent or degree.  

With my primary focus today is academic, I would argue the traditional common school structure and organization does not have the capacity to fill all the needs today's students require. For younger students, it was never designed to have students in the building from 6:00am to 6:00pm.  The parent role started after school and carried through until the next day.  In the absence of this neat little relationship between home and school, it begs the question of how much capacity a school has to assume a greater portion, or perhaps most, of the responsibility.   

It remains really important to have an authentically present parent with the proper level of social capacity to be part of the process.  Those that are capable are a powerful partner in the educational and socialization process. (I'm struggling with how much they can be separated.)  It is relatively easy for me to guess which students will be successful and which will struggle. I observe the behavior of parents who drop their kids off and who picks them up. How do they look, behave, etc during this process. Those with a smile on their face are the ones who engender the most optimism. They seem happy to be involved in the child's education.  Those with a scowl, a frown, or an attitude of indifference are the most troubling. Their children are the one who need an extra hug or fist pump to get started.  That parent has already caused some damage.  

Schools can assume many other roles, but the love of a parent is a powerful partner in the education of a young man or woman. Now, the school that creates a school culture that emphasizes care, compassion, and love, even in an atmosphere of high expectations, makes for a powerful home-school collaboration.  

This is not any great revelation but it is no longer just words on a paper or in an article.  It is simple in its conceptualization, but seemingly difficult to put into action.