Working with families as an educational leader

1. Working With Families
Week 6 Written Assignment
Aaron Johnson
Keiser University
Dr. Kirschner
EDU 540 Current trends and issues in education
April 13, 2014

2. The Nuclear Family
 Dual parent homes build on
discipline and modeling appropriate
behavior, parents typically act as a
team to strengthen and reinforce
behavior.
 Children tend to receive get
consistent messages about behavioral
expectations.
 A two-parent household is more
likely to have higher consistency
with raising their children.
 Nuclear families tend to establish
stronger bonds. Children witness
their parents' supportive and loving
relationships, which assists in social
structures.

3. Grandparents acting as parents• Grandparents face possible
limitations such as: feelings of being
unwelcome, income restrictions, and
age or physical limitations (Aldridge
& Goldman, 2007).
 As a school leader it is important to
determine why the grandparents are
caring for the child.
 The ability of the grandparent’s
capabilities must be considered when
dealing with the child in the areas of
discipline, financial issues, academic
ability, or even their general hygiene.
 Single family homes, nuclear
families, and even foster care
environments all present a different
atmosphere than that of a child raised
by a grandparent. The main
difference is that while the
grandparents may be willing to raise
the child, promise to love and respect
the child, they may not be physically
capable in doing so like other family
dynamic structures.

4. Unmarried or Cohabitating
Parents  U.S. census data shows that in
2012, 34.4 percent of adults aged
30 to 34 had never been married
compared to 6% in 1970 (Vespa,
Lewis & Kreider, 2013).
 Among all family groups with
children under age 18, the
number of married-couple
households raising children
declined from 40 to 20% between
1970 and 2012 (Vespa, Lewis &
Kreider, 2013).
 This situation has a greater risk
of instability than a household
with married parents
 Children may have different last
names than the father
 Depression or a feeling of not
belonging may arise in children

5. Single Parent Household
 Authors Jablonska and Lindbergh
state, "Research on the impact of
the family structure indicate that
growing up in a single-
parent family is associated with
higher risk for substance abuse,
adjustment problems, emotional
problems and delinquent behavior"
(Jablonska, & Lindberg, 2007 p. 1).
 More than one fourth of all children
in the United States live with only
one parent(Single Parent Families,
2013).
 Emotional strain could be placed on
the children in the case of a divorce
or death in the family unit
 Financial limitations, and parental
involvement may be constraints in
the single family household

6. Gay and Lesbian Families
 Increasingly common alternative family structure.
 Students could feel a sense of isolation, and
embarrassment due to the stigma attached to
homosexual relationships
 Older children may feel that gay parents are a social
liability
 Gay and lesbian families tend to hold more liberal
viewpoints and politics than heterosexual
families(Flynn,2014). .
 Research suggests that children of same-sex couples
and children of heterosexual couples have
comparable intelligences, ethics, and
growth(Flynn,2014).

7. Bi-Racial Parents
 According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, 1/50
marriages are
interracial which is four
times the number
compared
to1970(Alouise,1998)
 Children may adopt
multi cultural heritage
 Children may have
multiple customs or
beliefs
 Children’s racial
identity may be more
identifiable with one
parent

8. Administrators Plan Of Action
 Communicate with
parents early, and
often
 Learn as much
background data on
students as possible
 Familiarize yourself
with students that
possess behavioral
concerns possibly
due to family
instability

9. Fair, but not always equal
 Not all situations are
the same
 Build relationships with
families before
discipline issues arise
 Recognize family
dynamics are not
always black and
white scenarios
 Treat each scenario
on a case by case
basis
 Explain your rational to
parents before making
any decision

10. Dealing with Problem Parents
 Issue code of conducts at
the beginning of each year
 Remain fair, and unbiased
in all situations
 Recognize individualized
beliefs, religions, and home
lives of students when
making decisions
 Be open to advice, but
make a ruling that is
justifiable by empirical
evidence
 Implore parents to work
with the school, not against
it
 Maintain an open door
policy for dealing with all
parents concerns

11. Conclusion  Remember the
feelings of the children
involved within the
family dynamic
 Realize issues may be
out of the student’s
control
 Invite opportunities for
positive praise and
encouragement
 Remember not every
child comes from a
nuclear family
 Maintain the ability to
be a role model, and a
support figure

12. References
 Aldridge, J. & Goldman, R. (2007). Current issues and trends
in education,( 2 nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
 Alouise, N. J. (1998). Interracial Marriages and the Effects on
Children. Retrieved
fromhttp://academic.udayton.edu/race/04needs/s98alouis.htm
 Flynn, S. I. (2014). Alternative Family Structures. Alternative
Family Structures -- Research Starters Sociology, 1-7.
 Single Parent Families. (2013). Retrieved
from http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-
dynamics/types-of-families/pages/Single-Parent-
Families.aspx
 Vespa, J., Lewis, J. M., & Kreider, R. M. (2013).
America’s families and living arrangements: 2012.
Washington, DC: US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8,
2013, from: http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-
570.pdf