Parents to face their own report cards this fall in Chicago schools

May 30, 2000
Web posted at: 10:02 p.m. EDT (0202 GMT)

In this story: Involvement, accountability sought 'The parents are always here' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Correspondent Patty Davis

CHICAGO (CNN) -- Parents of children enrolled in public schools across Chicago will get a little something extra this fall -- their own report cards.

At the city's Harold Washington Elementary School, parents have been graded for more than six years as an experiment in education reform. "The parent grades are working very well," said Sandra Lewis, the principal at the school.

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"When they're not on the 'A' honor roll, they come to the school and they want to know why," Lewis said.

Many more parents may find themselves asking that question this fall, when schools city-wide begin issuing a report card-type checklist to parents, starting at the pre-school and elementary levels.

Involvement, accountability sought

"Our intent is to send checklists home to parents every five weeks that identify things that they are doing -- and that they may not be doing -- that are important to their children's education," said Paul Vallas, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

The checklists would detail whether the child is bringing his or her homework to school, whether the child is attending school on a regular basis, and whether the student has been dressing appropriately for school.

Parents who do poorly would get follow-up help.

The idea is to get parents, especially first-time and single parents, more involved and to teach them to be accountable for their child's performance and behavior in school.

But critics say the teachers, not parents, should be held accountable.

"We feel that it's an insulting idea," said Julie Woestehoff of Parents for Responsible Education. "It's something that doesn't help parent-school communications. And we don't think that it's something that's going to make our students learn."

That's how Ellen Harris -- a parent who has gotten Bs and Cs on her report card -- felt at first. But she has since changed her mind.

"If I keep up my grades, they will keep theirs up," Harris said.

'The parents are always here'

During the seven-year experiment at Harold Washington Elementary, officials at the school have not looked at whether parent report cards have raised student grades or attendance. But they have noticed other improvements.

"We are virtually graffiti-free, our parents are very supportive of us ... the parents are always here," said Lewis.

And, according to the principal, the credit for those improvements goes to parents who are making the grade.

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Department of Education
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