They must also experience this in contacts with other Muslim children and families, says Haffajee. They must see that family life the Islamic way is not just something their own family practices, but it's something others do as well. Depending on a parent's schedule, this can mean different things. Haffajee explains that more and more schools will be decentralized and will have more power at the PTA level, for instance. Another forum for involvement is running in school board elections.
School boards run all the schools in one district.
Volunteering and helping at the school is also an option. This differs in each school. Some may have a lunchroom program with parents as monitors, for instance, which requires only a few hours a week. Regular participation in such school organizations and activities gives you a voice as a parent to express your views about what's going on in the school system as it affects your child, as well as others' children. By participating at the long-term level, your voice is more likely to be heard because you're involved in making the school better generally, not just for your child's interest only.