Article September 2, 2002 Issue

Head of Harlem school on parents and education

By Kathy Egmont

I've Never Worked With A Parent who didn't want to do the best for his or her child. Sometimes parents may not have the resources to do that. Sometimes they may be blocked by their own anger or by their own disappointment. But if you work with them long enough, and you can convince them that you also want what's best for their child, you can't help but be impressed by how much people love their children.

As a parent with three grown children of my own, I know that parenting is never an easy job. But when, as a teacher, you are working with a family where the parents really understand their children and are open to who they are—not trying to fit them into their preconceived ideas as to what should be happening—a wonderful energy can be developed.

It comes when everybody is seeing who that child is and what the child is trying to tell us—especially one who is battling to cope with, say, learning or emotional issues. Although I believe parents know their child best, the new environment of school creates new growth in a child, and it is helpful when parents understand who their child is in relation to school life and academics.

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