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BETWEEN PARENT AND SCHOOL by

BETWEEN PARENT AND SCHOOL

By

Pub Date: April 28th, 1977
Publisher: Dial

Those parents intimidated by a call from the principal will find reassurance in this straightforward guide to constructive parent/school interactions. In the first part, the responsibilities of teacher, administrator, specialist (psychologist, speech therapist, nurse) are examined: what they are trained to do, what can reasonably be expected from them. Then the most serious problems children face--failure, learning disabilities, congenital and acquired handicaps, chronic diseases, emotional disturbance--are described in view of the variables involved, the accommodations available, those situations requiring evaluation, immediate action, or outside intervention. Most significantly, the authors take a neutral stance: they don't assume school personnel are evasive, defensive, or ignorant, and they don't allow parents to believe the school can do it all. The importance of a partnership is maintained throughout. But they do caution against those familiar institutional excuses--full schedules, waiting lists--because a child won't have a second chance, and they itemize specific child advocacy tactics. An even-handed treatment of a touchy issue.