Not a Fan of Parents...

Okay, I like many sets of parents, and I love my parents (Hi Mom and Dad!). I am, however, completely and totally opposed to parents who (1) feel it is appropriate to try and coerce and scare me into giving their child a passing grade or (2) feel it is appropriate and professional to yell at me, tell me I am a horrible educator, and convince me that education is NOT the students’ responsibility. 

If you can’t tell I’m a bit bitter from some parent conferences gone wrong. And I’m saddened by the fact that parents cannot look beyond their personal biases and hold their high school children accountable for their own education. I’m even further disappointed that adults don’t have skills and the professionalism to hold productive meetings with teachers. Since when is coercion and screaming a good means of achieving anything?

I am also frustrated by the fact that my school held parent teacher conferences/ “curriculum night” this past week and very few parents attended. On Thursday and Friday teachers were available for 2 hours in the evening to meet parents, talk about their class, and discuss student performance. Between the two nights, 7 parents showed up. (That’s 7% of the parents.) In the States parent night is such a big deal. Almost every parent marks the event on their calendar and eagerly attends to meet and greet their children’s educators. This is a reflection of the positive involvement between parents, children, and school. It is a testament to the fact that parents care about their child’s education and academic progress. Unfortunately circumstances are very different in Samoa. Not many parents care about education and this is directly correlated to the poor academic performance and lack of academic motivation of many students. I wish there was an effective method to get parents involved with their students’ education and help them promote the value of school and higher learning. 

I will, however, end my rant on a positive note. I was very impressed with and grateful for the parents that came to visit me. Though most of the parents were of my best and highest performing students, a few were ones that I really needed to talk to, and I think I will see a change in the kids’ academic performance. Many of the parents who came to see me had great philosophies on their students’ education (something many Samoan parents don’t have). They spoke of excitement with progress not just the black and white grade, and the importance of work ethic and motivation. Talks with these parents definitely ensured hope. It might be a very long time before education is viewed as a necessity by all on the island, but at least there are a few leaders paving the way for strong parental involvement and improved education.