Your children will probably do better in school, have better attitudes toward school, and set higher goals for themselves if you are involved in their education. That's the conclusion of dozens of studies on parent participation. But for many parents, getting involved in their children's school is a tough assignment.

Timing is a big issue--some parents never meet the teacher because they're at work during the day. Parents may also hesitate to get involved in school because of language differences or bad experiences with their own schooling.

Maria Torres, who trains parents on school involvement for Project AHEAD in Los Angeles, says many parents "think that if there's a problem with the child, they'll be blamed for it." Immigrant parents may also be suspicious because public schools are part of the government, she adds, but parents do not have to show identification at their child's school.

"Many parents feel traditionally in their culture that their job is to drop the children off at the school yard and then pick them up at the end of the day," says Luis Auniga, also at Project AHEAD. Parents may feel it's rude to question a teacher. And "teachers can make some parents feel like intruders."

But if teachers know you on a friendly basis, it's much easier to approach them when there's a problem. says Marianne Hudz, a national trainer for a PTA home-school communication project.

Parent educators offer the following tips on communicating with your child's school:

• Meet your child's teacher early in the school year. "Just be nice and let them know you're interested in communicating and learning more about what you can do to help out. Most teachers appreciate parents who are interested in listening and learning," says Tayhesia Darby, another Project AHEAD trainer.
  
  
• If you are working and can't visit the school, find other ways to communicate. Maybe you can ask a grandparent or child care provider to go to the school, says Torres. Parents can also send a note or leave a telephone message for their child's teacher, explaining their schedule and asking the teacher to call.
  
  
• Don't let language differences stop you from getting involved. "Most schools we work in have teachers who only speak English, but there are assistants who speak Spanish and who can act as translators," says Auniga. Jairo Guiza, the parent involvement coordinator for the Spanish Speaking Unity Council in Oakland, says parents should insist that a English-proficient neighbor or family member accompany them to the school if there is no other translator available.
  
  
• Show up well-prepared for the parent-teacher conference. Most important, of course, is to show up. California law requires your employer to let you take 40 hours off work each year to attend school events. Throughout the year, keep a list of questions and concerns you'd like to share with the teacher. Hudz also recommends talking with your child before the conference, asking if there's anything he or she wants you to bring up.
  
  
• If there is a problem, follow the chain of command. It's important to first discuss any problems with your child's teacher and try to work together to find a solution, says Valerie Stewart, the parent of a 10-year-old daughter and a school PTA president in Fremont. If that doesn't solve the problem, the next step would be going to the assistant principal or principal, then the superintendent or school board. "If you follow the protocol," says Hudz, "you'll get the school's respect."
  
  
• Don't forget that you're the expert on your own child. Some parents feel intimidated talking with teachers because of their training and educational background. But Guiza says, "Never let a concern go by without addressing it with your child's teacher. You know your child better than anyone else."

Especially for immigrant families

From a booklet by Multicultural Education, Training, and Advocacy (META), San Francisco

• All children in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, have a right to free public education, and children are legally required to attend school.
• Parents are not required to give information on immigration status--their child's or their own.
• Special education programs for children with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities are available to all public school students.
• Public schools with "gifted and talented" programs must assess all children, including those who are limited English speakers.
• Most public schools offer free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. A Social Security number is not required.
• Schools must provide special programs for children who need help learning English.
• Schools must try, as often as possible, to translate information sent home with children into the family's home language.

For more information, contact

• META, (888) 634-6382
• Coalition for Immigrant Rights, San Francisco
  * English and Spanish (415) 543-6767
  * Cantonese and Mandarin (415) 543-6769
  * Vietnamese (415) 543-5598
• MALDEF, Los Angeles (213) 629-2512.

Your legal rights in California schools

• Parents, grandparents, and/or other primary caretakers have a right to visit their child's classroom.
• Parents have the right to take up to 40 hours a year from work to attend school functions (in companies with more than 25 employees).
• Parents can request a conference with their child's teacher and/or the school principal.
• If parents think their child may have special educational needs, they can request that the school do an evaluation.
• Parents have a right to request their child be placed in a different school in the district, as long as there is space available.
• They also have a right to look at their child's school records and question anything they think is incorrect or misleading.
• If a child is suspended, the family has a right to an informal hearing with the school. If a child is expelled, the family has the right to a formal hearing with a lawyer present.

For more information, see Parents' Rights, a brochure from the California Department of Education, which should be available at your child's school.

Resources for parents

• The California Department of Education runs a "warm line" in seven languages to field parents' questions about schools between noon and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. (877) 9-PARENT
  
  
• The national PTA website has tips on how to have a successful parent-teacher conference, www.pta.org

Organizations that train parents to work with their children's school:

• California PTA, (213) 620-1100, www.capta.org
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), (213) 629-2512
• Parent Institute, (858) 483-4499
• Parents for Unity, (323) 734-9353
• Project AHEAD, (323) 295-8582