50 Times Parents And Teachers Had The Best Interactions

In 2023, researchers found that most teachers living in OECD countries feel undervalued by their community, the media, and policymakers. Soo-yong Byun, the co-author of the study, said that teacher satisfaction directly affects student satisfaction and outcomes.

"If teachers feel valued in society and by media and policymakers, their job satisfaction will increase and thus [they will] make more efforts to adopt new ideas and methods to change and improve their schools," he explained.

Parents, on the other hand, place a lot of trust in local schools and teachers. A poll by PDK International’s 2022 Public Attitudes Toward Public Schools found that American adults rate their local schools very positively. 63% of American adults put "a great deal or good amount" of trust and confidence in their teachers. 

These ratings are almost the highest they've been in 50 years. Still, people don't view teaching as a desirable profession. When asked whether they'd like their children to become teachers, 62% of the respondents said 'no.' It seems that parents understand how hard a teacher's job can be, and few wish their children to experience that.

In reality, it's not just the teacher's job to educate and inspire the next generation. It's a tough job that parents need to take part in, too; it's a joint effort. Journalist and educator Dana Brown even goes as far as to say that it's not the children who make the job hard. It's the parents. "Often the most frustrating and overwhelming duty of teaching is communicating with parents," she writes for The Educator's Room.

Brown lists three main reasons why parents and teachers might not get along as well nowadays. First, it's that parents are overwhelmed with responsibilities. So, they rely more on teachers to teach their kids life skills, morality, and values. And when these clash with those of the parents, conflicts arise.

Second, some parents want to micromanage their children's everyday education too much. "Yes, parents should absolutely have a say in their child’s education, but those choices should be made during elections and school board meetings," Brown claims.

And lastly, attitudes toward teachers at the top matter. Brown says that parents often mirror the administrators when it comes to respect for teachers. When rigid regulations and micromanagement are coming from the top, parents tend to follow suit.