by Stephanie Rogan, Asst. Middle School Editor

The recent article in The Dallas Morning News cited studies by the National Parent Teacher Association that show that parental involvement in a child’s schooling is key to the child’s performance. However, it raises the question of how much parental involvement is too much.

“It is always important for parents to be aware of what’s going on with their child’s academics, but particularly in the Upper School we do strive to promote more independence as we prepare students for college,” said Carolyn Rodriguez, Upper School learning specialist.

graphic by Alexa Kutler

Volunteering at school is a way for parents to be involved while still allowing their child to work independently. It is impossible to go through a day without seeing a parent monitoring the cafeteria, working in the Upper School office, selling food in the snack bar, or simply walking around campus.

“It’s important to be involved in a child’s education from a volunteering standpoint, because it teaches children how important it is to be part of the community,” said Pam Pluss, president of the Parents’ Association.

However, there is a difference between being involved in a child’s school and being involved in a child’s school work, said Mrs. Rodriguez.

“It is a precarious situation for a tutor or a parent to be more responsible for a student’s work than the student is.  Even though it sometimes results in better grades, it can also be enabling, making it harder for the student to adjust to college when parents are not there,” said Mrs. Rodriguez.

Parents can still participate in a student’s education without doing the work for him or her. In Middle School, parents are sent weekly e-mails detailing what their children are learning in class and when major assignments are due.

In Upper School, parents must work harder to obtain this type of information. This year, for the first time, all teachers have phones at their desks, which makes communication between teachers and parents easier than in the past.

“I tell my parents what’s going on in my classes. They are also starting to look at my syllabus and usually know when I’m going to have a test,” said sophomore Josh Glick.

Because no two students are alike, some students need less help from their parents than others.

Many students say that they benefit when their parents are not as involved in their school work.

“It helps me because I feel independent. I am not pressured, and I can do things when and how I want to do them,” said senior Garrett Luk.

The work load can be a lot to handle, especially for seniors who must apply to college on top of their other responsibilities. Parents often feel the need to become more involved in their child’s work when his or her grades are slipping or when he or she falls behind on assignments.

“Many parents will be reasonable as long as the student is doing a responsible job and keeping them informed,” said Wells McMurray, director of college counseling.