ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 25, 1997 TAG: 9702250083
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Reporter's Notebook
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE
The fried chicken outnumbered the parents.
Organizers figured the chicken - plus all the fixings - would be a pretty tempting bait for busy parents. Free child care couldn't hurt, either.
Close to 75 families did come out for the free food, and free advice, at Christiansburg High School Thursday night. The school's violence prevention task force organized the night, which offered seminars on topics such as improving communication with children, and juvenile corrections.
There are about 950 students at Christiansburg, and many parents and faculty who did come were disappointed by the low turnout. If fried chicken wouldn't do it, what would?
In room 208, a group gathered for one seminar on how to involve parents more in school. Ironically, or perhaps appropriately, I was the only person who wasn't either employed by or already heavily involved with school. And I'm not even a parent.
This year's Christiansburg PTSA has one of its highest membership rosters ever, at about 250. Of those, said a representative during the discussion, there are maybe 15 parents who really keep everything running. That core group can call a few dozen others if a specific action is needed.
It's true with any high school, they said. As the children get older, parental involvement dwindles to a committed few. Why? This group of parents, teachers and counselors came up with a few hypotheses:
* High schools can be large, intimidating places for some parents. It's much easier walking through a small elementary school than to find a familiar face in the maze of high school hallways. Children in the elementary school usually have only one teacher; most high school students have at least four.
* While teens need more moral and social guidance from parents than they might have in elementary school, said one parent, they're less likely to admit they want it.
* Parents are tired and they just don't have much time. They spent the elementary school years baking cookies and volunteering during reading time. Once their children become more independent, the burden of school involvement lessens.
But the group also developed ways to attract active involvement:
* Parents should get involved with one of the child's interests, such as band. Volunteering for a small group like the band boosters might be the first step toward feeling more comfortable in high school. Boosters, the PTA and other groups should join forces - and volunteers - to make a stronger impact overall.
* Kids don't really mind seeing their parents hanging around, said one parent. Deep down, it tells a child how much a parent cares.
* PTAs need to continue the enthusiasm from elementary school to middle school, and then to high school. They need to list specific needs and assign them to anyone who says he or she is interested. That way, parents can help, but on their own time schedule.
Friday, a parent called with one more idea: grandparents. A grandmother came to the meeting after spending years away from the schools. I'll bet the PTSA will be recruiting as many as they can.
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