“Closing the Communication Gap: LaShanta Mire Challenges in Parent-School Engagement”
At first glance, LaShanta Mire’s daughter seemed to be thriving at her public school in Fort Worth, Texas. Her grades were satisfactory, and as a second grader, she appeared to be progressing well in reading, meeting the expected level for her age.
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LaShanta Mire
However, assessments revealed a starkly different reality: her daughter couldn’t read, lacked crucial knowledge, and was falling behind grade level expectations. Recognizing this disparity between her perceptions and her child’s academic performance, Mire, a single mother of five, sought assistance from a parent group to navigate school systems, engage with educators, and access important information such as test scores. Armed with this knowledge, Mire made the decision to transfer her three oldest children to new schools last fall.
Now enrolled in different schools, LaShanta Mire her children receive grades that offer a more accurate reflection of their academic achievement. Mire expressed relief at the change, acknowledging that her previous school failed to provide genuine assessments, and appreciates the new school’s emphasis on earning grades through effort and achievement.
Mire’s daughter is part of a generation of students who faced significant learning setbacks during the pandemic. Even four years after COVID-19 emerged, schools continue to grapple with addressing these academic gaps while also combating chronic absenteeism, which remains prevalent and, in some cases, has worsened.
Despite these challenges, schools often fail to effectively communicate these issues to families, mistakenly conveying that everything is fine. Research indicates that parents receive limited or inaccurate information about their children’s performance, with nearly half expressing a desire for improved communication from schools, particularly regarding attendance.
According to survey findings from SchoolStatus, a K-12 communication and data analytics platform, one-third of parents feel inadequately informed about their children’s academic progress and school success. The survey, conducted among approximately 1,050 parents and caregivers of children aged 6 to 18, highlights the persistent gap between families and schools, emphasizing the importance of alignment between the two.
Russ Davis, founder of SchoolStatus, emphasized the importance of schools sharing data with parents, noting that the assumption of “no news is good news” is often misleading. Effective communication between schools and families is essential for supporting student success.
