Working Class Parents Should Learn Education Advocacy

Several studies contrast working-class parents and parents of students in the middle or upper class in how they teach their children to navigate the school system.  Parent advocacy skills vary according to social class.  Here is a quote from Ms. McCrory Calaro from Indiana University in Bloomington.

"I find that although both middle-class and working-class parents teach children skills for negotiating with institutional authorities on their own behalf, the nature and content of these lessons varies along social class lines," she said. "Whereas middle-class parents stress the development of children's self-advocacy skills, working-class parents instead emphasize skills for problem-avoidance."
 

We see this in Title I, not only in parent 'disinterest', but in student avoidance in solving problems.  Asking for help is not something that seems to be encouraged, but figuring "it" out by yourself is encouraged.  On the other extreme, we have the helicopoter parent who hovers over every decision a child need to make.  Some kind of balance certainly is certainly in order.
Comments?

Middle-Clss Children Learnn to Be Squeaky Wheels.  Sarah D. Sparks.  8.29.12. Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/08/29/02parents_ep.h32.html?tkn=NPCFJehy1cXcgXi8ZNKQo%2BLy4kim1weBuQk3&cmp=clp-sb-teacher