The parent and teacher relationship is developed and strengthened when a parent is involved in her child's education. This relationship is significant because your child spends the majority of the day with the teacher. When parents and teachers establish a rapport, communication is easier. Parents can trust that the teacher will contact them about any issues in the classroom, and teachers can assume that parents will inform them if anything goes on at home that could potentially impact a student's behavior in class (such as a divorce).
Involving parents in school activities gives students a sense of support, both educationally, emotionally and behaviorally. Showing support to students is an effective way for students to feel encouraged. Parental involvement can also help students feel more comfortable. For instance, if a school is putting on a recital, students may perform with more confidence when they know that a parent is in the audience watching.
Sometimes schools are faced with important decisions that need to be made, at which point it is appropriate to involve parents and solicit feedback and opinions. Examples of such decisions could be relative to the school's desire to merge classrooms, how to allocate funding, ways to improve the school library, behavioral policies and procedures and the overall curriculum. When schools invite parents to assist with decision-making procedures, school executives may develop an understanding of how the issue at hand impacts students from the perspective of the parents. Working together creates a collaborative process that can benefit students.
Schools may not always have the available funds that they need or want in order to provide certain materials to students, or go on field trips. When schools include parents in school activities, teachers and faculty can reach out to parents as a financial support system in hopes that parents will make classroom donations for things such as supplies, help with school fundraisers, or volunteer as coaches.