Friday was the start of the new school year for most of Decatur County’s children, and it was not unusual to see mom or dad taking their children to see a new classroom and teacher, and then giving them a good-bye kiss and hug. Unfortunately, far too many parents don’t continue to stay involved with their kids, as the school year progresses.

If you ask local school administrators and teachers, they will say that parents need to remain more active in their children’s schools. Schools play a critical role in a child’s education, but the parents need to be involved in that process as well.

All of our local schools have parent-teacher organizations and student councils, which offer parents and interested adults the opportunity to be intimately involved in many school decisions. Also, teachers are always available to listen to a parent or schedule a conference to talk about a child’s progress in the classroom. We encourage parents to take advantage of these conference opportunities, or even just to visit their child’s school and share lunch from time to time. Studies show that parents who are genuinely interested in their children’s education give their kids a better chance of academic success.

In addition, the Decatur County Schools’ “Parent Portal” (www.dcboe.com/parentportal) allows parents to quickly view their child’s class schedule, grades, attendance record, missing assignments, and much more information. We recommend that all parents take advantage of this service.

For more information about how parents can stay involved in their children’s schools, call Decatur County Parent Involvement Coordinator Dr. Cheryl Guy at (229) 243-6847.