The only way to improve education is for parents, teachers, schools, and the government to work together
Few topics ignite as much debate among parents and educators as K-12 education. While both parties strive for quality, one side often advocates for increased competition while the other pushes for more funding. However, this apparent conflict is fostering innovation and greater parental involvement, particularly in North America, where choice is a cultural norm.
My interest in this topic deepened when I learned about the success of states like Montana and North Dakota. These northern U.S. states boast impressive academic performance despite operating with comparatively lower state funding. At the same time, a proposal in Alberta to enhance parental involvement in K-12 education caught my attention. This initiative includes helping parents become better informed about how to choose the right school for their children.
In Alberta, the discussion surrounding K-12 education frequently focuses on provincial funding levels. While adequate funding is undoubtedly essential, it is not the only factor influencing academic outcomes. Increasingly, experts argue that parental involvement, school choice, and competition among schools are equally crucial in shaping students’ educational success.
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Alberta’s K-12 education system faces unique challenges, particularly due to rapid population growth. As more families move into the province, schools are struggling to keep up with the rising number of students, leading to crowded classrooms and stretched resources. Despite these challenges, Alberta continues to perform well on national academic metrics, thanks in part to a strong educational framework that supports diverse needs and high standards. Yet, the strain on funding and infrastructure means that innovative solutions such as increased parental involvement and school choice are more critical than ever.
Research consistently shows that students with involved parents are more likely to succeed academically, have better attendance, and display more positive attitudes toward school. Parental involvement can take many forms, from attending parent-teacher conferences and volunteering at school events to helping with homework and creating a learning-friendly environment at home.
Dr. Emily Roberts, an education specialist at the University of Bangor, notes, “Parents who actively participate in their child’s education provide crucial support that goes beyond what schools can offer. Their involvement bridges gaps that funding alone cannot address.”
Moreover, parental choice and competition among schools significantly impact student performance in Alberta. The ability to choose between public, separate, charter, and homeschooling allows parents to select the environments that best meet their children’s needs. This freedom fosters competition among schools, driving them to innovate and improve their offerings to attract and retain students.
Parents, however, face significant disadvantages as advocates for enhancing their children’s educational experiences. While teachers may be sympathetic to parents’ concerns, they are bound by union obligations and hierarchical structures that often place student interests secondary to other considerations. Unlike teachers, parents have no union to advocate for their interests. Unions often control key leadership positions such as superintendents, principals, trustees, and school boards. By law, when a student is at school, the teacher assumes a parental role – known as “in loco parentis” – which can further marginalize parents’ influence.
Despite these challenges, parents are stepping up. Some are setting criteria for hiring school principals, while others are preparing to run for school board positions. The time parents spend with their children – about 3,000 hours annually, including holidays – far exceeds the 1,200 hours students spend with teachers in K-12 education. How much of this time is dedicated to education depends on various factors, including school schedules, family routines, screen time, and extracurricular activities. Teachers managing classes of multiple students have limited one-on-one time with each child, whereas parents, particularly those involved in homeschooling, can offer more individualized attention.
The relevance of class size to academic performance is also a point of contention. K-12 class sizes would need to be reduced to around 12 to 15 students to optimize personal attention and academic success. However, this presents a significant funding challenge for any school district. In larger classes where individual attention is limited, parents can play a crucial role by providing additional resources and support, ensuring their children get the help they need.
Most importantly, the contribution of both parents and teachers to a child’s education should be complementary, not competitive. Unfortunately, this crucial collaboration is often overlooked in educational curricula. Educational leaders should ensure that parent-teacher engagement is constructive and mutually supportive rather than competitive or combative.
Initiatives to boost parental involvement are yielding significant benefits across Alberta. Schools are implementing programs encouraging deeper parental engagement in their children’s education. Workshops on effective parenting strategies, open communication channels between parents and teachers, and flexible event timings to accommodate working parents are all steps in the right direction.
In countries like Canada and the U.S., parents are deeply involved in decision-making and school activities. In contrast, Finnish parents generally place more trust in the education system and are less involved in school governance. The U.S. and Canada offer a wide range of school choice options, including public, charter, private, and homeschooling, while countries like Finland and Japan have more standardized systems. In Japan, parental involvement is often shaped by cultural expectations for academic excellence, whereas in Finland, parents face less pressure to be actively involved. In the U.S. and Canada, socio-economic status plays a significant role in determining the level of parental involvement, while Finland’s education system is designed to reduce these disparities.
Ultimately, while increased provincial funding to accommodate rising K-12 enrollment remains essential, recognizing and fostering the invaluable roles of parental involvement, choice, and competition can create a more balanced approach to improving academic performance. A collaborative effort between schools, government, parents and teachers across Alberta will ensure that every child receives a quality education, regardless of funding challenges.
Dr. Perry Kinkaide is an accomplished manager and visionary, a change agent with passion and perspective. Since retiring in 2001, Perry has remained active as an advisor and director for several diverse public and private organizations. He is the founder (2005) and Past President of the Alberta Council of Technologies Society. His pre-retirement positions include Canadian Knowledge Management Practice Leader and Managing Partner for KPMG Consulting in Edmonton (1987-2001) and Assistant Deputy Minister, Director of Privatization and Funding Reform, Edmonton Regional Director and Regional Coordinator of Services for the Handicapped with the Alberta Government (1972-1986). He received his BA from Colgate University in 1964, MSc in 1967 and PhD from the University of Alberta in 1972 in Brain Research.
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