The act of volunteering at your child’s school used to be a quaint notion generally reserved for stay-at-home mothers. Free time in the middle of a weekday seems an impossible luxury for corporate crusaders and other full-time workers. Even after the bell rings, few of us make it to the PTA and school site council meetings. Who has the time? Nonetheless, donating your time is one of the most important things you can do to improve your child’s academic environment—and the nation’s public schools are depending on it.
We all know that the public education system is in dire financial straits. Budget cuts and declining property tax revenues seem to have pushed every state to the bottom of at least one statistical list. Per-pupil spending is falling in Utah while libraries in Florida house books from the 1950s. New school construction slows in Massachusetts, and Washington schools are closing altogether. Simply put, our schools can’t afford to remain independent of parental assistance. They need our help. Fortunately, there are many simple things you can do now.
- Volunteer in the classroom. With teachers’ aides divided between multiple classrooms—if available at all—your child’s elementary school teacher can easily be overwhelmed. Consider volunteering one afternoon a week if for no other reason than to give an overworked teacher a much-needed break. Even better, try your hand at teaching a lesson. Are you a model airplane enthusiast? Demonstrate how to make a balsa bomber. Do you throw a sinister curve ball? Lead the kids to the recess yard and show them how to do it!
- Support a club. Budget cuts tend to hit extracurricular activities first, decimating budgets for clubs and sports. Contact the staffer in charge of your child’s activity to offer help with planning a fundraising event or transporting team members to a competition so they don’t have to rent a van.
- Speak up. Voice your support for at-risk programs at the next school board meeting. Show your school district’s representatives that you care—and hold them accountable.
- Clean up. Janitorial and maintenance services sometimes go underdone when funds are low. If you’re handy and could do some repairs, call the principal and offer your services. Likewise, offer to cart a load to the dump if you’ve got a truck and an open Saturday morning.
- Modernize your child’s school. Do you have computer skills? Volunteer to update your school’s Web site, repair broken machines, or set up a wireless network on campus. Facilitating a setting in which children can learn essential computer skills is an invaluable service.
- Bring the classroom to you. Invite your child’s class to your office for a field trip. You might not think a tour of a cement factory or an advertising agency is as much fun as a trip to the zoo, but kids are always appreciative of a chance to get away from the classroom for a few hours.
- Beautify your child’s campus. Do you have a green thumb? Share your gift by adding some color to the planters and walkways of the school. Even better, make it an event by posting flyers to invite other students and their families to join the fun, get out of the house on a weekend, and learn about nature.
Every contribution, no matter how small, is essential to providing a nurturing, effective academic environment for your child. Make time to participate in your child’s education. It’s a good use of your time.