Other principals explain that without clear guidelines and parent handbooks which outline the role parents can play, some parents use Parent Councils as the primary venue to air their grievances rather than help their children’s school become better. For example, in Montenegro, an elementary school principal describes, “Some parents thought that the Parent Council was an organization to support the school in all matters including the management of the school. Some thought they had the authority to decide teacher salaries as a Parent Council member.” These anecdotes demonstrate the need for establishing a clear communication and management strategy for both the schools and families of students. Without a communication strategy, confusion ensues and collaboration is difficult to achieve. In addition, it is important to remember that many parents in the South East European countries were raised under Socialism and may lack the foundation and understanding of democratic organizations like parent councils and school boards. Parent Councils must know what their roles and responsibilities are. School administrations and interested parents should discuss what guidelines will suit their schools and children best. Once these discussions occur, a parent handbook should be made and disseminated to all the families of students.
The Principals’ Views
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