Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Do parents volunteer too much at kids' schools?

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/..._at_your_kid_s_school_does_not_make.html
Ban School Bake Sales
Do American parents spend too much time volunteering at their kids’ schools?
By Amanda Ripley
Slate
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013

...

In a 2009 study of parenting in 13 countries and regions, parents who volunteered in school
extracurricular activities had children who performed worse in reading, on average, than parents
who did not volunteer—even after controlling for children’s backgrounds. Out of 13 very different
places, there were only two (Denmark and New Zealand) in which parental volunteering had any
positive effect on reading, and it was small.

How could this be? Weren’t the parents who volunteered in the school community showing their
children how much they valued education? The data are mystifying, but other research within the
U.S. has revealed the same dynamic: Volunteering in school and attending school events seems
to have little effect on how much kids learn.

One possible explanation is that volunteering parents were more active precisely because their
children were struggling at school. And it’s possible their kids would be doing even worse if the
parents had not gotten involved.

Or it might be that parents who spent their limited time and energy coaching football and
organizing school auctions simply had less time and energy for the other kinds of activities that
actually did help kids learn.

In that same international study, parents who routinely read to their young children raised
teenagers who performed significantly better on a test of critical thinking in reading years later—
even after controlling for the effects of socioeconomic background. Likewise, parents who
discussed movies, books, and the news with their kids had teenagers who not only performed
better in reading—but reported enjoying reading more overall.

************************************************

Amanda Ripley is the author of the new book, "The Smartest Kids in the World -- and How They Got That Way". The Tiger Mothers have anticipated her conclusions:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/education/12parents.html
New York Times
November 12, 2008
School District Tries to Lure Asian Parents
By WINNIE HU

JERICHO, N.Y. — For school officials here, the numbers did not add up. Even as enrollment swelled to 3,200, from 2,600 a decade ago, attendance at Parent-Teacher Association meetings shriveled by half. Even as more students got accepted to Ivy League schools, turnout for the guidance department’s information nights was so anemic that counselors cajoled students to come — and bring along their parents.

Then teachers and administrators noticed something else: Jericho High School’s 90-member orchestra had become 70 percent Asian-American (the student body over all is about 30 percent Asian-American), but it still played for a mostly white audience at concerts with many empty seats.

The Chinese and Korean families that flocked to Jericho for its stellar schools shared their Jewish and Italian predecessors’ priorities on excellent education. But the new diversity of the district has revealed a cultural chasm over the meaning of parental involvement. Many of the Asian-Americans whose children now make up a third of the district’s enrollment grew up in places where parents showed up on campus only when their children were in trouble.

“They think, ‘My kids are doing well — why should I come?’ ” said Sophia Bae, 38, a Korean immigrant who shied away from P.T.A. meetings when she first moved here from Queens four years ago. Now a member of the organization, she invites other Koreans to her home and encourages them to participate in pretzel sales. “They don’t realize it’s necessary to come and join the school to understand their kids’ lives.”

I think Slate is cashing in on back to school time. Last week it was the Private School = bad person gem and now this.

I have been volunteering at my son's school daily from 12:30-3:15.

I have done most of my work in the media center (so much work constantly needs to be done there).

One afternoon in a first grade classroom...I did random tasks off a list the teacher had and then when she taught a writing lesson I picked up my chair and sat next to the English Language Learner who really needs constant 1 on 1 help (she is a cutie but she is a handful and is generally either wandering around fulfilling her own agenda or glued to the teacher). The teacher didn't ask me to do this but I saw it needed to be done and just jumped in.

One day I did health screenings. A charity came and screened the entire student population's vision. The process needed volunteers to help shuffle the students in and out in a quick and orderly manner.

I would like to be in the classrooms more but the teachers have to ask for the help. But they see me in the media center and know that I am available.

There are about 3 school volunteers. One is the mom of the media specialist and is 87 years old and there M-Thursday. One is the daughter of a staff member. I am sure there are a few others that volunteer but I haven't met them yet.

The author of this article appeared smart to me, though, and she cites some research.

DS5's Kindergarten teacher told us at the curriculum night that she LOVES parent volunteers and when she gets them, she doesn't want them copying papers or doing other office work but wants them actually working at the different tables hands on with the kids. I wish I could volunteer just to get an idea of what the days are like but can't since I have my 3 year old who always tags along anywhere I go. Younger siblings unfortunately are not allowed ... in class or field trips either.

When the PTA rep gave us the pressure sales pitch to join, we had one simple question: What do you do?

And the only answer we could seem to get was: You get a t-shirt.

PTA varies quite a bit. Biggest items we have are various informational events, school projects like a learning garden, helping coordinate parent volunteers, funds for teacher special learning projects, coordinate getting used uniforms to families who need them, food drives.

You are right. I apologize for sounding sour. I think the title Ban School Bake Sales just seemed a little too catchy.

The conclusion I found interesting was this:

"That pattern held fast across very different countries and income levels. Kids noticed what parents valued, and it mattered more than what parents said"

I don't think the majority of American parents value academic excellence. They are quite happy with average grades at average schools. It is the extracurriculars that parents really value.

I grew up in TX. The tiger parenting there has been going on so long it doesn't have a name or stand out, it is the culture. Just replace academics, orchestra and chess with football, football and football.

I grew up in a similar system to the one mentioned in Finland. The only parental contact was twice a year during parent teacher conferences. And at the end of the year each class went on a class trip and one or two parents volunteered to go with the kids. No other volunteering was ever done and not fund raising either. State paid the schools and teachers, parents paid their kids school supplies and lunches and field trips. That was it.

BUT even before internet became a big thing, there was always daily contact between parents and teachers. All kids had their "grade books" ... little notebooks where each teacher every day would write down all grades for assignments, tests, etc. and parents had to sign it once a week. And ALL of our homework had to be done at home and parents had to sign off on it at night (or in the morning before school). If your homework wasn't singed, it was the same as if you didn't bring any because it was assumed you wrote it at school or cheated off of someone. So there was this unspoken constant accountability from everyone involved.

I am a New Zealander and went to school in the seventies/eighties. I honestly have no recollection of parents helping in the classrooms except for some cultural activities. My son's school has parent volunteers but there aren't really many people who are free of work and younger children to do it.