What Role should Parents have in schools ?
In early January, Ohio passed a law that its opponents refer to as the "Don't Say Gay bill." One of its key provisions mandates that schools must inform parents of any changes to their child's mental, emotional, or physical health, including "any request by a student to identify themselves as a gender that does not correspond to their biological sex."
The intention of the law is explicitly stated. By July 1, 2025, each school board in Ohio's cities, villages, and learning districts must develop and adopt a policy that promotes parental participation in the public school system. Ohio becomes the 23rd state to implement a charter applicable throughout its territory, while the remaining 27 states allow individual school boards and councils, with elected parents, to determine their own regulations.
In Ohio, sex education is prioritized in this legislation, which outlines the following requirements: 1. Ensure that sexual content is age-appropriate for the students being taught, regardless of their age or educational level. 2. Provide parents the opportunity to review any educational materials that include sexual content, as well as to either deliver such education themselves or authorize a third party to do so on their behalf. If a parent requests it, their child must be exempted from sexual education and allowed to participate in an alternative activity.
Sexual content is defined as "oral or written instructions, presentations, images, or descriptions of sexual concepts or ideologies." Furthermore, the bill explicitly prohibits the inclusion of sexual instruction in kindergarten through third grade (K-3), targeting children typically aged 3 to 4 years old. Opponents of the bill view it as an act of defiance against the established system, while supporters argue that it underscores the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding their children's education and to have access to their school and medical records.
The introductory terms of this law emphasize this point. Additionally, the bill requires school boards to adopt policies allowing students to leave school temporarily to receive religious instruction. School boards must also implement various other policies that encourage parental involvement in their districts. Representative Sara Carruthers (Republican), who co-sponsored the bill, stated that schools must actively include parents in their students' education. Beyond the localized implications of this initiative, a significant question arises: What impact does parental involvement in schools have on students' educational outcomes and overall well-being, and to what extent?
Ohio: The Recent Evolution of a State
Ohio was once a thriving industrial state, known for its steel mills and economic prosperity. However, it has now entered a phase of deindustrialization, and is often referred to be a part of the Rust Belt. This transformation has left cities like Cleveland with abandoned factories and vast areas of neglected land. The state's population has steadily declined, and by 2024, it is estimated to have around 11.8 million residents, predominantly white (81.6%), with a poverty rate of 13.3%. Cleveland, in particular, has a large African-American population (around 50%), facing a poverty rate exceeding 30%. In contrast, much of Ohio's landscape consists of extensive agricultural land, primarily used for grain crops. The rural communities in Ohio tend to hold strong religious values, with 73% of the population identifying as Christians. Among them, 18% are Catholics, while others practice various branches of Protestantism. Educationally, most residents have completed high school (91.6%), and 30.9% hold a bachelor's degree (either two or four years aafter high school). Historically a swing state, Ohio has alternated between Republican and Democratic leadership. In recent years, however, Donald Trump's rhetoric and policies have resonated with the electorate, leading to his victory in the last three elections, including November 5th. JD Vance, a former state senator, became Trump’s vice president and authored a bestselling book that highlights the struggles of impoverishment in the Rust Belt, providing insight into the region's political shift towards Trump.
CAPTION/2024 election results SOURCE: Wikipedia. Fuente:Wikipedia
The Importance of Parental Involvement in Children's Education
Research conducted by Francesco Avvisati (OECD), Marc Gurgand (J-PAL, Paris School of Economics), Nina Guyon (Department of Economics, National University of Singapore), and Eric Maurin (J-PAL) in 2014 examined the effects of a parent-school meeting program in France. The goal was to assess how increased parental involvement impacts children’s behavior and academic performance. The findings of this study indicate that higher parental involvement leads to better outcomes for students:
- Eighteen months after the program, students in classes whose parents attended the meetings exhibited improved behavior and performed better on French tests compared to their peers in control classes.
- The program significantly reduced absenteeism and delinquency rates for all students, regardless of parental attendance. Specifically, absenteeism rates dropped from 25.3% for children of volunteer parents to 12.7% for those of non-volunteer parents. Additionally, disciplinary incidents decreased, with rates at 41.8% for children of volunteer parents and 20.9% for those of non-volunteer parents.
- However, researchers noted that the level of participation in the program was relatively low. Only 22.5% of parents in the targeted classes volunteered to attend the meetings. Those who did attend became more engaged in their children’s education at home and school, but the program did not have a noticeable effect on parents in classes where no one volunteered.
Source: Avvisati, Francesco, Marc Gurgand, Nina Guyon, Eric Maurin. 2014. "Getting Parents Involved: A Field Experiment in Deprived Schools." Review of Economic Studies 81, no. 1: 57-83.