Parents, teachers differ widely in view of parental engagement, curriculum accessibility, study shows

There’s a substantial rift between public school teachers and the parents they serve, a new survey reveals. 

K-12 parents and teachers differ greatly in their views on parental involvement and curriculum accessibility, according to data from the Sutherland Institute, a public policy think tank based in Utah.  

The survey – which polled 560 parents and 610 public school teachers – revealed a substantial “perception gap” between the two sides: 

• Over half (58%) of parents reported being “very involved” in their children’s education, but teachers thought only 7% of parents were very involved.   

• One-third (34%) of teachers also said parents are “not very involved” compared to just 4% of parents.  

• When it came to classroom transparency, 55% of teachers said their curriculum and instructional materials were either extremely or very accessible. Just 16% of parents agreed.  

Classroom transparency also seemed more important to parents than it did to teachers:  

• Nearly half (44%) of parents said curriculum accessibility was “very important” to them. Only 28% of teachers said it was very important, while 23% said it was “not too important.”  

• Most teachers (68%) also reported being extremely or somewhat satisfied with using Canvas – an online classroom management system – to give parents access to curriculum, but only 26% of parents were content with it. 

“I think it comes down to: what do people mean by involved?” Christine Cooke Fairbanks, education policy fellow at Sutherland, explained. “Is it just making sure that they are driving their child to school and making sure they’re helping with homework? Making sure the homework is done accurately? Is it volunteering in the classroom? That can mean a lot.” 

Since the pandemic drew back the curtain on public school classrooms, more parents have demanded accountability and transparency from their schools.  

But in Utah – and likely elsewhere – public education still has a long way to go.