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LACK OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
It's a complaint most often heard by teachers; parents just don't care anymore. It's a complaint that lacks validity. Parents regardless of their involvement do care about their child's education. Moreover there is a correlation between socio-economic status and parental involvement. There is also a correlation between school programs offered and parental involvement. Lack of parental involvement should not be shouldered solely by the parents. It is a community issue and should be examined as such.

WHY DON'T PARENTS GET INVOLVED?
Families and Finances. Families are not the quintessential two parent families of the 1950's with a working father and stay at home mom. Blended families, single parent families and two working parent families are the norm. More often than not, parents must put work before parental involvement in school. Financial obligations render many parents unable to attend school functions, volunteer in classrooms, or join the PTO on a regular basis. Very rarely do corporations allow for paid time off so that parents can become involved in their child's school. Therefore parents must choose between a job that pays the bills or volunteering at school. Furthermore, generally, many educators often have a very idealistic view on parental involvement and adhere to the notion that if parents truly cared about their children, they'd take time off of work to become more involved or attend the conferences. Unfortunately this is not the reality. Between working full-time, keeping up with household duties, children's activities, and dealing with financial and family stresses, parents are hard-pressed to juggle one more ball.
Intimidation. For some, schools are an intimidating place. It is filled with highly educated personnel and can feel intimidating for many parents who lack the educational expertise. Hence, some parents shy away from parental involvement because of the misguided perception that they lack a voice, or say in the school system. This perception is not the parents' responsibility to change, but the school's.
School perception. Another deterrent to parental involvement is the school's perception of parents. Schools, meaning administration, teachers, and support staff say parental involvement is the key to student success. But when a school's action and attitude is perceived as negative, many parents pull away from becoming an involved member of that school. Simple actions such as a curt, rushed greeting from the secretary

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