  A Call to Commitment: Fathers' Involvement in Children's
Learning - June 2000  I. The Context: What Research Tells Us
What Our Children Tell Us  "My parents, like, want me to have
the best education I can have. So, if my parents weren't
involved, I might not get as good a teacher or something like
that. And, it might affect my grades or my learning." (1999
National Teleconference)  "I don't think parents need to be in
the building or like active in the classrooms or PTA, but I
think they need to know what their child is learning. I think
they need to know the homework situation, and how they can help
their kid if their kid needs help. I think children should know
that they can come to their parents." (1999 National
Teleconference)  Benefits of Family Involvement in Education
Families are considered the primary context of children's
development. Whether children are "ready" for school and
experience success throughout their school career depends, in
large part, on their physical well-being, social developm