Parents care deeply about their children’s educations. And that’s a good thing. Studies have shown that when parents are involved in their children’s schooling, those kids earn higher grades, score better on tests, have better social skills and behavior, and are more likely to go on to college.
Educating yourself about education options and topics is a great start toward becoming more involved in your child’s school life. We offer the following articles to help you on your journey.

How to Choose The Right School for Your Child
By Teresa Carson

Ronna Neuenschwander did everything right. The southeast Portland mother of two hoped her artistic daughter would go from Buckman Elementary School’s arts program to the arts magnet da Vinci Middle School or to Mt. Tabor Middle School. But when her daughter did not get into either choice, Neuenschwander set out to find the best school for her child.

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How to Have the Best School Year Ever
Seven Steps to Academic Success

By Emily Puro

The beginning of a new school year brings excitement, anticipation and high hopes. How can we keep the momentum going as the year progresses? We asked a few local experts – educators and parents alike – what parents can do to make the most of this school year and every school year to follow. Here are seven simple steps they recommend:

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How to Raise a Lifelong Learner

Parents as Partners in Education

By Teresa Carson

We all want the best for our children, including the best education possible. So how do we, as parents, make that happen?

“We know parental involvement is crucial to children’s success in school and in life,” says Stefani Willis, project director for the Chalkboard Project, an organization focused on improving Oregon’s public schools. “They perform better and they’re more interested in pursuing higher levels of education when their parents are involved.”

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Many Schools of Thought
A Primer on Educational Philosophies
By Emily Puro

Julie Carothers watched her oldest son, now 30, struggle to find his way in school. Whether at the church school, the public school, or the elite prep school he attended at different stages of his education, says Carothers, “I just saw him being lost and uninspired.” More…

The Benefits of Parent Involvement

The evidence is conclusive: when parents are involved in their children’s educations, their kids – and, indeed, the entire community – benefit.

In A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement, a review of 51 studies published between 1995 and 2002, Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp found that students with involved parents are more likely to:

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What’s Your Child’s Learning Style?

Why Experts Recommend a Multisensory Approach

By Emily Puro

Nick and Ben Condon were second graders when they studied the digestive system at the Touchstone School in Lake Oswego, but it’s a lesson the Sherwood twins, now 12, aren’t likely to forget. Maybe it was the t-shirt each designed showing where the digestive system lies inside his own body. Maybe it was the rap song they composed with their class. Or maybe it was the puree of leftover lunches their teacher made then passed through a pair of pantyhose to illustrate how liquids and solids separate in the intestines.

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