No. 48 (2018): Issue 48 | Parents as Consumers
Dear Social Innovations Journal Reader,
The recently published book by Sondra Myers titled, “The People's Choice: Public Education and American Democracy,” makes it very clear that “public schools will educate nine out of 10 American students so there is no choice but to invest in them if we are to prepare informed and engaged citizens to shape the destiny of our nation.” As a journal focused on innovation, we urge all education stakeholders to work in partnership with parents to ensure that all of our children have their educational needs met.
This edition provides schools and educational institutions with a repository of ideas, models, and knowledge to both engage and partner with students’ parents and families. Hopefully, this edition inspires leaders of schools and educational institutions to engage parents as partners and educated consumers, as many consider family engagement the most critical component to a students' academic success.
Readers of this edition will better understand how students, parents, and educators can become partners in co-constructing the educational experience; the importance of community oversight in the delivery of services to students with special needs; the perspective of immigrant students in public education; the need for grief education in our schools to support our students and their families; how to effectively engage parents of students who are deaf or hearing impaired; how to cultivate social and intellectual capital; and how unwavering determination, perseverance, and courage are essential to overcoming odds and achieving success. Finally, this edition provides a snapshot of parent engagement innovations occurring internationally and nationally.
We hope as you read the articles (summaries below) you gain a sense of the promise and future of our evolving Educational Sector and the critical role parents fulfill in supporting the success of their children academically, socially, emotionally, and eventually, as contributors to society.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Torres
CEO/Co-Founder
Published:
2026-03-09
