Director Joyce Epstein said many parents are daunted by maze-like school systems. They don't know what questions to ask or whom to go to for assistance. They are intimidated by educational jargon and run into resistance from administrators or teachers. The Johns Hopkins program is designed to guide parents through that maze, Epstein said. But parents don't have to wait for schools to offer such programs.
Experts say there are some things any parent can do to make a school work better.
Parents' instincts are much better than we give them credit for. Go to the library or surf the Internet for information on education trends, studies and advice from experts. You want to find out if goals and expectations have been made clear to the child. Find out the regulations and policies of the new class. Go to that meeting each year.