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.

About the author

Kathy Egmont has been an educator for 30 years. She founded a nursery school in Kenya, and private and charter schools in Massachusetts; was vice-president of education and training for Children First, a US backup childcare company; and is now head of a tuition-free independent school, The Children's Storefront, in Harlem, New York.

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