I am a firm believer in parents having a large stake in the education of their children and that they should be looked upon as equal partners in the educational process. Parents have a right to air their concerns and to be listened to and taken seriously. Our sages have always stressed the importance of parents educating their children and for parents to set the example for their children to learn. Some of our greatest leaders and sages were taught by their parents and became successful only because of their interest and concern. Indeed, the entire Jewish educational experience is based upon children learning from their parents and the vital part that parents play in the development of a child.
But there are times that parents become overbearing and don’t take into account the greater picture of the purpose and role of the school today in imparting knowledge and values to their children. They become focused only on to the welfare of their child to the exclusion of the other children in the class, and the expertise of the teachers and the school.
In each of the stories sited there was wrong on the part of the parent and the teacher. In the first story, the parent had no concern for the other students and the impossible situation she placed the school in. In the second story, the teacher did not react to the concerns of the parents whose input should have had tremendous value and weight. Rather than accepting the parent as an advocate, she viewed her as an adversary
Education is a delicate partnership of both interested parties-the school and the parents. Both sides must realize their limitations yet welcome their mutual interest and concern in the ultimate goal of successfully educating our next generation.