"Parents have become so convinced that educators know what is best for their children that they forget that they themselves are really the experts"
About this Quote
Marian Wright Edelman, the civil rights lawyer and founder of the Childrens Defense Fund, speaks from decades of fighting for childrens wellbeing when she insists that parents are the real experts on their children. The line pushes back against the quiet cultural drift toward technocracy in education, where certifications, standardized curricula, and testing regimes can overshadow the knowledge that comes from daily life with a child. Teachers and administrators hold valuable professional expertise about pedagogy and child development; Edelman does not deny that. She argues that these credentials should complement, not replace, the insights parents hold about temperament, culture, language, health, trauma, and the particular ways their children learn and flourish.
Historically, families in marginalized communities have been told to defer to institutions that do not always understand or reflect their realities. Edelman’s advocacy emerged alongside efforts like Head Start and early childhood programs designed to bring schools and families into partnership. The quote names a power imbalance: when parents assume the school knows best by default, they can be pressured into silence, even when their observations tell a different story about what their child needs. That deference can be especially harmful in areas like special education, bilingual education, or discipline policies, where outcomes hinge on careful, individualized understanding.
The deeper claim is about democratic accountability. Schools are public institutions serving children and communities, not gatekeepers of expertise. When parents trust their own knowledge and speak up, the result is not a clash with educators but a richer, more accurate picture of the child. Effective schooling grows where professional methods meet intimate knowledge, where data meets stories, where policy meets lived experience. Edelman calls for a partnership in which parents ask questions, share what they see at home, and expect transparency and respect, recognizing that a child’s first and most enduring classroom is the family.
Historically, families in marginalized communities have been told to defer to institutions that do not always understand or reflect their realities. Edelman’s advocacy emerged alongside efforts like Head Start and early childhood programs designed to bring schools and families into partnership. The quote names a power imbalance: when parents assume the school knows best by default, they can be pressured into silence, even when their observations tell a different story about what their child needs. That deference can be especially harmful in areas like special education, bilingual education, or discipline policies, where outcomes hinge on careful, individualized understanding.
The deeper claim is about democratic accountability. Schools are public institutions serving children and communities, not gatekeepers of expertise. When parents trust their own knowledge and speak up, the result is not a clash with educators but a richer, more accurate picture of the child. Effective schooling grows where professional methods meet intimate knowledge, where data meets stories, where policy meets lived experience. Edelman calls for a partnership in which parents ask questions, share what they see at home, and expect transparency and respect, recognizing that a child’s first and most enduring classroom is the family.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
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