Black parents would like more opportunities to be involved in their child’s education and more input into education laws.

Ninety-three percent of Black parents said that they wanted more opportunities to be more involved in their child’s education and input into education laws. Parents do not want to be passive bystanders in the learning process for their children. They don’t want education being “done to them,” as we discussed in the first African American parent perceptions series. One parent echoed this sentiment in the focus groups:

“I’m a parent advocate in {school system name omitted}, and when I came into the school system, I knew right away that I had to be an advocate. I couldn’t allow a stranger to teach my children, and so I was {an} at-home mom all that time to make sure and help to navigate, and so the partnership started there, started with a teacher, as a teacher understands that we are a partnership, and that they are not necessarily the authority over my child. But neither am I, really, and that is a true partnership. It’s a triangular partnership with my child, the school and our family.”

Additionally, nearly 90% of parents said it would be very helpful to have resources that would help them in advocacy efforts.