How Parents And Educators Can Work Together To Overcome The Attack On Education

It was more than an attack on America’s education system; it was a gut punch to longstanding laws that have been in place to protect our civil liberties. To further cripple the DE, Trump froze billions of dollars in vital grants and funding to schools. From initiatives to protect disabled children to protections against sex-based discrimination, the DE depends on money from the government to run programs that benefit both children and working parents who rely on extra school support. For Trump, it is another weapon in his arsenal to push his divisive agenda.

Kyndal Hargrow, proud mom of two, started in education 15 years ago. A former elementary school teacher turned principal and dean of culture, she says she feels “deep anger and frustration” with the current administration’s imposition on the DE.

“It’s disheartening,” she says. “Especially when you recognize that these cuts directly impact the communities that are most underserved. This will impact Black and Brown students. It will impact low socioeconomic children and families. It impacts students with disabilities. It impacts students who are English language learners.”

What does this mean for parents of school-age children or teens seeking higher education?

“It means we have to stay present and stay alert,” explains Hargrow. “I think the biggest thing for us as parents is to stay engaged, to talk with our kids. Ask what they’re learning in the classroom.”

“The more that we can make sure that we’re present and involved as much as we can… I know a lot of us gotta work and pay the bills. But just getting that information directly from your child can make a world of a difference to know where there are gaps and where I might need to step in and fill in things,” she adds.

According to Hargrow, there’s power in parents putting their phone down for just 20 minutes to engage with their child. Asking basic questions is highly effective. Simple inquiries like asking what they’re thinking or how they’re feeling, to more critical thinking questions that push students to think about why things might be a certain way, are essential.

Hargrow also recommends tapping into free resources that are available, like visiting the local library. “There are things that don’t require money and ways that we can still have really powerful teachable moments just by being aware of what’s available and what resources we can tap into.”

Technology is also a tool to help fill the gaps, but being aware of what your child is watching is essential to it being a gift and not a curse. “What our children are watching and what they’re engaging with—and how much of it they’re engaging with—can make or break how they learn technology.”

Sharing a gentle laugh, Hargrow jokes about taking her own back-to-school advice. As both a mom and career educator, she recommends introducing yourself to the teacher. “Ask the teacher what’s the best way to communicate with them. Is it texting, is it email, is it a phone call? And if I have questions, how do I best get answers to them?”

And vice versa, Hargrow has advice for educators trying to make a difference in their students’ lives.

“I know all too well, both as an educator and as a school leader, how overwhelming it can be,” she adds. “I think in order for it to feel like a partnership and for us to work together—to really lean into the spirit of ‘it takes a village’—the more open the communication, the better. I think knowing that it goes both ways is huge.”