But the report cards are evidence of friction on the accountability circuit. This feature from Education Week looks at urban schools, and the issues that keep parents outside the school house doors. Public engagement is not about improving the school's newsletter for parents. It starts with more candor, and building trust where little exists. The parent is customer in Edmond, and the district staff all know it.
Customer service is the district's watchword, and it works.
Their membership is declining. Their programs are weak. And their connection to urban school problems is tenuous. Teacher union influence overshadows parents' interests. The longstanding traditions of the PTA are rooted in the 1950's.