While the “ideal parent” is a rarity, schools can do much to increase parental involvement. Improving parent involvement, particularly among at-risk populations, is one of the most challenging tasks facing educators today. Here are a few thoughts and ideas to build and increase parent involvement at your local school.

• Hold your first parent meeting at a fast-food restaurant.
• Hold a “Parent University” programme right at your school.
• Provide “Fact Cards” for parents with school name, address, phone number, name of principal, school secretary, school nurse, PTA president—perhaps a refrigerator magnet.
• Establish “Take Home Friday” as day to send school papers home.
• Send home tape recorded messages in parents’ own language.
• Provide a short newsletter for parents—consider Parents Make the Difference!
• Remember “30-3-30” in writing school newsletters.
• Remember the R10 bill rule for school newsletters.
• Write for parents at 4th to 6th grade level.
• Try Brown Bag Seminars— parenting programme at work site during lunch hour.
• Use the key communicator system to control the rumour mill.
• Know THE SECRET to getting parents to attend meetings at school.
• Remember the 3 “F”s for success—Food, Families, Fun.
• Understand and use the 80-20 rule for parent groups.
• Take heart from the one-third rule which research has revealed for achieving improved pupil achievement through parent involvement.
• Use videotape to show busy parents their children in action.
• Use refrigerator notes.
• Encourage “Sunshine Calls,” “Thinking of You” Calls.
• Understand the fact that teachers are more reluctant to contact parents than parents are to contact teachers. Work to overcome the problem.
• Put up parent-friendly signs at school—directing them to the office.