High school principals must work with parents not just to build parental involvement but to make them real partners in their child’s education. That’s the message Donna Williams, chair, STRIVE to Excel, a program to assure that teens graduate from high school, delivered today during her Assembly session, “Using the Resiliency Model to Build Parent Leadership.”

“Parents are very involved when their children are cute and in elementary schools,” she said. “When youngsters are in high school, students want to start taking responsibility for themselves, but parents really need to remain involved. They must understand what kids are going through and support the school and teachers.”

She called upon school leaders to create training for parents to show them how to be successful with teenagers and ways to become involved. Once parents become involved, they will understand the value of education, she indicated.

Williams pointed out that many times principals are dealing with parents who themselves were not successful in high school and are facing financial challenges and even unemployment. Thus, it’s important to demonstrate to parents that their involvement is essential to their child’s future.

Principals should create a workshop for parents to help them learn communication and negotiation skills in working with teens, she urged.

“One of the most important things for parents of teenagers to understand is that you have to pick your battles,” she said. “There are some things parents should be willing to put on the back burner; others must be non-negotiable.”

Williams also urged principals to treat parents as professionals, just as they do their teachers. “To be partners, parents must be equal partners with the school. They are the leaders in their homes.”

Williams can be contacted at [email protected].

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