Parents Play a Supporting Role

We respect, honor, and value parents.

Parents are the primary educators of their children. Parents involved with our Unschool Academy generally already, like us, tend to reject compliance-oriented education models, and advocate for their children’s autonomy and self-direction.

Parents place their children into our Academy, with each child’s assent. Parents then decide the extent to which they want to be involved in the day-to-day operations and learning life of the Academy. Nevertheless, consistent with our education and child-development philosophy, when it comes to a child’s learning, the Academy and its teachers communicate directly with the student.

Parents influence their children’s education, activities, and decisions more by communicating with their children at home, and less by communicating with teachers at the Academy. To the extent that a child desires to follow and adhere to parental wishes and demands, the child will do so of their own volition at the Academy, in part (potentially) by communicating with their teachers. In other words, while teachers respect,, honor, and value the parents, they attend to the needs, desires, and interests of their students by collaborating directly with each student. Teachers do not place demands on students, whether of their own initiative or as requested by parents.

For example, if a parent wishes for their child to work harder or become more involved on project involving math or financial accounting procedures, they can communicate this to their student at home, and implement rewards and consequences, etc., at home. The student can then decide to work harder on the project at the Academy, or not to. But the teacher will not require the student to work harder, nor to work at math or financial accounting procedures at all; nor will the teacher attempt to determine the extent to which the student is or is not working hard and report back to parents. Or anything like that.

Teachers generally do not hold conferences with parents, do not issue reports to parents, do not set student objectives or expectations with parents, and so forth. Students set their own objectives and expectations (potentially with their parents’ input and assistance), and can communicate about these to and with parents when and as they wish to do so, or as their parents require of them. This is between children and parents.

Parents influence their children, parents teach their children, parents set an example for their children, parents support their children, parents advocate for their children, parents require of their children, and more. But children attend the Academy, and while they bring with them their parents’ influences, they do not bring the parents themselves. Teachers work directly with, and side by side, the children. (There are exceptions to this policy when parents must be the voice of their children.)

Parents can influence the activities of the Academy by offering their resources of time, talent, and treasure. (And this is encouraged!) For example, a parent who wishes for students to have access to certain knowledge could volunteer to provide that knowledge through certain activities, projects, or field trips (although, when approved by the school, students would then choose whether or not to participate). A parent who wishes for students to have a better performance space, sports equipment, or technology could offer to donate land, facilities, and/or equipment to the school (although, when accepted by the school, students and teachers would then choose whether or not to avail themselves of those enhancements).

According to our educational philosophy, it is best to learn about our students’ (children’s) needs, desires, and interests, as well as those of our teachers, and develop programs, provide opportunities, and build capacity based on those foundations.