101
Volume:
2021
,
April

When Confronted with Parents

Submitted By:
Stephanie Lipkowitz, Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, NM

Hopes and Fears: Working with Today's Independent School Parents by Rob Evans and Michael Thompson
NAIS, January 1, 2021

In this slim volume by Rob Evans and Michael Thompson, educators, particularly independent school educators, will find both reassurance and practical tools for working productively with this generation of parents. Written with deep empathy for parents and school staff, the book outlines the points of potential conflict and the anxieties and fears on both sides that can cloud a productive partnership in the service of children. Both Evans and Thompson are psychologists who have worked extensively in school settings and were themselves students, parents, and grandparents in independent schools. They bring humor and understanding as well as a firm set of guidelines to help schools set appropriate limits with parents, train faculty and administrators to work productively with parents, and best include clear and mission-driven language in handbooks and enrollment contracts. New teachers, especially, will find this book helpful when confronted with parents who question their authority and make inappropriate demands. These authors also take a larger look at our current moment and help to surface some of the reasons why parent-school interactions seem particularly fraught and challenging. Schools that want to proactively work to address problematic aspects of their parent culture will find this quick read invaluable and timely.

Categories
Teaching Practice
Leadership Practice