• Parents can serve valuable roles as members of task forces, advisory committees, and school boards.
• Invite parents to serve on curriculum development and textbook adoption committees.
• Provide training for parents, teachers, and principals who serve in these leadership roles.
• Approach local businesses to suggest "Employee Time Off" for volunteers at the school. Point out the long-term benefits to the community.
• Talk to the science and math teachers and the principal about how math and science are taught in your school. In some elementary schools, children can spend too much time on computation drills and basic arithmetic, instead of moving on to problem-solving, estimation, graphing, algebra and advanced math.
• Consider establishing a school-business partnership. Both partners can work together to share ideas, work toward common goals, and support efforts to help students learn. Employers might consider granting parents leave to attend conferences or volunteer in school, for example. Schools, in turn, can work with the business community to prepare graduates with the skills they will need to enter the workforce.
• Develop a suggestion box for the school.
• For information about school councils, try
  1. Fruchter, Norm, Galletta, A., & White, J.L. (1992). New Directions in Parent Involvement. Academy for Educational Development, Inc.: Washington. $12.95 American. Lists successful initiatives in the United States, including information on school councils.
  2. Marburger, Carl L. (1985). One School at a Time. School Based Management: A Process for Change. Excellent discussion of school councils.
     
     Both are available from the Center for Law and Education, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 510, Washington D.C. 20009. Tel: 202-462-7688.

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