Fostering the Parent Connection : Law enables many employees to take time off to visit their child’s school

Parents have long known what school officials have been saying in recent years: The more that mothers and fathers involve themselves in their child’s education and school, the better off that child will be. In fact, education experts say that the most accurate predictor of academic success is the level of involvement of a child’s parents. The more parental involvement the better the child’s grades, reading scores, study habits and behavior. It’s that simple.

However, many school-age children have parents who work long hours and whose jobs are far from the school. The mothers and fathers frequently encounter resistance when they ask to take time off from work to attend school events. It’s not that most parents don’t want to participate; they simply can’t. The choice between keeping their paycheck coming and participating in school activities is no choice at all.

That’s why many California parents will be pleased to learn of the Family School Partnership Law, which went into effect last Jan 1. It permits working parents and guardians of school-age children to take up to 40 hours away from work each school year to participate in school activities. (State law had previously allowed working parents to help out up to four hours annually at their child’s school and prohibited employers from firing or otherwise penalizing them for doing so.)

Parents who want to, say, help out in the school library or attend a school concert must use existing personal leave, vacation or compensatory time off. The law--sponsored by Delaine Eastin, a former member of the Assembly and now state superintendent of public instruction--applies only to firms with 25 or more employees.

By itself, the Family School Partnership Law is not the answer to this state’s high dropout rate and students’ poor achievement on standardized tests. Nor is it a substitute for adequate school funding, decent teacher salaries, good classrooms, sufficient textbooks and modern computers. But it is an important first step that can help bring more parents into the schools to see firsthand what their children are doing and what they need. The next steps are up to parents themselves.