It was the first week of school. I was scrolling one evening when a post stopped me cold. A parent of a kindergarten student was frustrated that she had emailed her child’s teacher four times and received only one reply. I braced for the familiar pile-on. Instead, something different happened. Parents flooded the comments, not with outrage, but with perspective. They asked why so many emails were needed so soon. They named the first week chaos: tears, shoe-tying, bathroom routines, learning names, building trust. A few even laughed about inboxes that refill as fast as they empty. The tone was kind. The message was simple. We see what teachers carry, making it far easier for parents and teachers to act as partners.

This made me think: Most families are already on our side. When we educators notice it and invite their partnership, classrooms get better for everyone.

When Parents and Teachers Act as Partners: Seeing the Parent — and the Student, Too

We repeat a tired script about families. No one comes to PTA. No one returns calls. Parents only reach out when a child is failing.

That has not been my experience. Parents want to act as partners to teachers. I have taught across the Southeast, often in schools where money is tight and time is tighter. Over and over, when I call, parents step in. They correct disrespect. They ask how to help. They want what I want: a safe, focused room where their child can learn.

Support does not always look like bake sales or midday volunteering. It looks like a 9 p.m. group chat that shuts down a rumor and steers folks back to facts. It looks like an email that says, “I know your day is full. Please reply when you can.” It looks like translating for another family, sending a box of pencils in November or choosing a calm tone when frustration is high. These quiet moves change the air.

Some families are still learning how to support students at home. Some parents are juggling two jobs. Some did not have strong models of school growing up and worry about getting it wrong for their own kids. If you have ever helped a child with homework and felt your patience evaporate, you know how fast love can collide with frustration. When we say it takes a village, we are telling the truth. Educators are part of that village, and so are families, and students are supported when parents and teachers act as partners. Our job is not only to see the child. Often our job is to see the parents, too.

Read the full article about parents and teachers acting as partners by April Jackson at EdSurge.