Something that works against the schools is that it’s developmentally appropriate for students to become more independent of their parents as they reach higher grades. That fact is somehow misinterpreted by both parents and school staff as a justification for having less parental involvement in the schools. Wrong. Teens and preteens need parental involvement and a community focus just as much as little ones, maybe even more. It just has to look different than bringing cupcakes to the class party or chaperoning walking field trips to the Square. Unfortunately, public schools are so stretched financially, staff-wise, space-wise, morale-wise that it’s hard for them in invest in real family and community involvement, even though the pay-off is probably worth it ultimately. Some private schools, especially smaller schools with a more wholistic approach to learning, manage to graduate responsible students while still having a huge amount of family participation. But that’s not the culture of public schools in Georgia.