Better Homes and Parenting - Newsletter

Ask Dr. Mac

 Parent:  My child is a first-year college student.  I’ve been told that I cannot have access to her grades or college bill, but I am responsible for paying her bill.  How can that be?  How can I see her grades?  How can I be responsible for a bill that is not mailed to me?

Dr. Mac:  The Family Education Right to Privacy Act (1974) prevents schools and colleges from sharing information about student records without the student’s

 

written permission, and unfortunately for parents, that includes grades.  This applies to students who are 18 years old and older. 

Here’s the solution:  Every school/college has a process to allow parents to have access to a student’s records.  It usually involves having your student sign a form granting you permission to see their grades, discuss their academic progress with professors and

advisors, and discuss their college bills.  Talk to your child about signing the form (they are usually available online).  Once that’s done, you will have access to what you need to know.

 

If you have parenting questions, email them to veda_mcclain@yahoo.com .

 

 

About This Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Better Homes and Parenting newsletter.  As stated above, this newsletter is designed to share with readers information and ideas that have the power to transform generations of people through knowledge, understanding, and practical application.  This concept is based on Hosea 4:6 that says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” Hosea 4:14, “A people without understanding will come to ruin,” and Hebrews 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

                In this issue, you will read about the power that parents have when they parent intentionally. The possibilities are limitless for parents who choose to embrace their responsibilities with honest intentions.  The Back-to-School page includes advice for supporting children as they return to school and how parents can best support the education process of their children.

Back-to School

 As the school year begins, your presence is requested.  If you have someone who will be attending school this year, you are needed.  If you live in a community where there is a school, your presence is requested.  You are needed as a parent, relative, friend, pastor, educator, community leader, citizen, etc. to contribute to the education of the children in your community.

If you are the parent of a child entering school for the first time or returning to school, your presence is needed.  You are needed as a visible sign of your support for your child.  Your child needs to see you and the teacher needs to see you.  Both need to understand that you are the leading advocate for the needs of your child.  They need to know that you will be there for the good as well as the not-so-good times.  They need to hear your questions about what is happening in the classroom and on the playground.  They need to know that you are concerned about your child’s classroom performance and behavior.

Your presence is requested to become a member of the school’s parent organization and to be

there for the chili supper, fall festival, and spring fling. 

Your presence is requested to become a member of the school’s parent organization and to be there for the chili supper, fall festival, and spring fling.  Your presence is needed at parent-teacher conferences as well as your questions about how you can assist your child, the teacher, and the school.  Parent-teacher conferences were never meant to be one-way conversations, or simple reports of what your child is or is not doing.  Conferences are meant to be two-way dialogues in which information is exchanged and questions are asked.  Ask questions about your child’s performance and expect clear and accurate responses.  As a parent, you are held accountable for your child’s behavior and academic performance.