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Parents are their children's first and most important teacher. 

At home, parents are responsible for:

• Establishing high expectations for their children
  
  
• Impressing upon children the importance of hard work and their responsibility for learning
  
  
• Creating a home environment that supports learning, including:
  
  *  Letting children know that school is important and that they take it seriously
  
  *  Providing a quiet place at home for study
  
  *  Making sure their children do their homework and do it well
  
  *  Turning off the TV until homework is done
  
  *  Reading to their children—or having their children read to them
  
  *  Talking to their children about schoolwork and current events
  
  *  Seeing to it that their children are prepared for school each day
  
  *  Reviewing the rules and discussing them with their children
  
  *  Teaching children respect for others and common courtesy, and expecting them to demonstrate these qualities at home and in all public places

At school, parents are responsible for:

Developing positive working relationships with their children's teachers and school staff by:

• Participating in parent-teacher conferences to learn about their child's performance and the curriculum the class will be expected to learn
  
  
• Letting the teacher or school staff know if their child is having difficulty at home or in school and asking for extra help when they think their child needs it
  
  
• Cooperating with the school in trying to resolve problems
  
  
• Attending school functions to get to know the people important to their children's success
  
  
• Attending school and district discussions about important educational issues
  
  
• Becoming informed about school issues such as school board elections, levy campaigns, curriculum expectations, and graduation and promotion standards

Parents establish the academic and behavioral expectations that guide children through their years in school. If much is expected, the probability is that a child will do his or her best to meet those expectations. If a laissez-faire or negative attitude toward school is projected, the chances are the child will adopt a similar mindset, and in turn, not meet his or her potential.

Where possible, parents should work with their children on their studies, especially at the early ages, and they should establish quiet areas in the home where studying can take place under the best possible conditions.

Attendance at school functions, especially parent-teacher conferences, is extremely important. Parents should find time to meet with their children's teachers to develop a positive relationship that will allow them to closely monitor their child's schoolwork.

They should become informed about school issues such as school board elections, curriculum and graduation/promotion standards, and school levy campaigns so they can make informed decisions about events and decisions that will have a significant impact on their children's education.

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