From "Outsiders" To "Insiders"

It is a good tradition in the west to strengthen the connection among school, family and community, explore effective education administration mechanism for the cooperation of them. In recent years, this begins to show new characters. The overview of the development of American parents' participation in school administration after WWII displays that the 1980s is an watershed. Before the 1980s, parents were "outsiders", they had no power to take part in school management, but only to participate in activities correlative with student's learning, the form and content of which were decided by school staff; After the 1980s, parents gradually begin to penetrate into school administration, speaking in school decisions and sharing administrative responsibilities with school managing staff, and ultimately become "insiders". Chicago school district is a typical representative of parents' role change. There are six parents in twelve members of school district committee, and parents have the power to hire or fire principals and set down the focus of budget and curriculum. Therefore, they have completely changed into the "insiders" of school administration.The laws and statutes concerning parents' participation promulgated by American government and the efforts made by school are direct factors facilitating the change. As "insiders", parents cooperate with...