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Author: Detra D. Davis
There is no secret that volunteering activities at the school level enable families to share their time and talents to support the school, teachers, and students. It matters not if volunteers are working at the school, in the classroom or in the community, they are essential to promoting parent involvement
It's no secret that some teachers can be territorial when it comes to letting someone into their classroom or accepting assistance from individuals not employed by the school district. Sometimes it is easier to just do everything alone or ask family or friends to help out on weekends or after school hours. What would happen however if a teacher took a chance and decided to consider working with one or two committed volunteers?
Various strategies may be used to recruit and train volunteers and to match their time and talents to the needs of teachers, students, and administrators. Two years ago a middle school in Michigan recruited six parents as "Den Mothers" responsible for contacting parents about issues and concerns addressing the grade they were assigned. Two sixth grade parents would create flyers for the sixth grade teacher concerning field trips, remind parents about upcoming parent meetings and conduct fundraisers used to purchase items the teacher needed in her classroom. There were two parents assigned to the seventh grade and the eighth grade. The group of "Den Mothers" met twice a month to talk about parent communication methods and met once a month with each teacher. Additional correspondence was made via email and phone calls. The principal met with the teachers and their assigned "Den Mothers" every six weeks.
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