Parents Helping Students Succeed in Chicago Public Schools

Chicago schools have 665 schools with over 400,000 students. Teachers need all the help they can get after the final bell rings to keep children from forgetting everything they’ve learned during the school day. Chicago Schools are encouraging parents to get actively involved in their children’s education in order to promote maximum success in their education

Chicago Schools’ Guide to Parental Involvement

– Encouragement: Chicago schools recommend encouraging your child to do the best they can in school. This might include praising them for completing their homework on time or for receiving a good grade. Encouragement motivates a child to do better.

– Availability: Be available to your children during homework time. Reinforce the idea that the work has to be done on their own, but you’re always available to help them if they answer any questions or have any concerns. Teachers in the Chicago schools believe that this helps your child from getting discouraged and giving up when they have a problem.

– Space: Chicago schools’ leaders recommend giving your child adequate space to do their homework. Make sure they have everything they need before they begin so they can put all of their effort into concentrating and doing their best. Also try to have your child avoid as many distractions as possible. This includes TV, radio, video games, and sibling interruptions. The more silence your child has, the more time he will have to finish his homework properly and accurately.

– Modeling: Chicago schools believe that being a good role-model is one of the best ways to help your child succeed. While they are dong homework, do something constructive of your own such as paying bills or reading a book. This reinforces to your child the idea of getting necessary and important things out of the way before playtime can begin.

What Else Can I Do to Help the Chicago Schools?

If you still want to do more, Chicago schools’ leaders recommend joining their Teacher for a Day program. Being Teacher for a Day allows you to gain a new perspective and a better understanding on what your child and his teachers experience on a daily basis. This program allows you to enter a Chicago school and co-teach a lesson prepared by a teacher. If this thought scares you (and who wouldn’t be scared?), you can always observe a class, or work with a small group of students on a specific subject of your interest.

Being Teacher for a Day in the Chicago schools can help your child get a better education because you’ll be able to see first hand what they are learning. It also gives you the opportunity for further involvement by bringing up your concerns to the school board or PTA.

Overall, the teachers of the Chicago schools want you to get involved in your child’s education as much as possible. As parents, it is our responsibility to help our children achieve maximum success in everything in their lives. We have the power to make sure that success becomes a reality for our children.