As Children Go to School, Parents Tag Along on the Web

Katharine Goodloe:

When Brenda Peterson's 17-year-old son, Matthew, comes home and asks for more lunch money, she's able to log into an online system at Hartford Union High School that shows just how many cheese fries, Little Debbie snacks and cookies he's downed lately.

Looking at that list has prompted Peterson to sit her son down and say, "Hey, you have to make better choices," she said.

At West Bend's Badger Middle School, teacher Jessica Gieryn e-mails about 75 parents each Monday, outlining forthcoming assignments and project due dates.

Although West Bend doesn't expect to have a district-wide system for online grades until next year, Gieryn has been sending her informal list for four years, and the number of parents wanting the information grows steadily, she said.

Not only do the notes cut down on phone calls - most parents e-mail her instead - they also put students on alert. Some complain that parents know details of a big project the moment kids arrive home from school, or that parents have printed out study guides for them to memorize, she said.

"It definitely does change expectations," Gieryn said.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 6, 2006 6:06 AM
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