The Mississippi House has passed House Bill 4, or the Parent Involvement Accountability Act, which would require teachers to grade parents if it becomes law.

"The legislation, by state Rep. Gregory Holloway (D-Hazlehurst), would mandate a section be added to each child’s report card on which the parents are graded on their responsiveness to communication with teachers, the students’ completion of homework and readiness for tests, and the frequency of absences and tardiness,” said Fox News.

Mary Clare Reim, research associate on education at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News she had her doubts about how effective the potential law would be.

“The concept that parents should be graded by teachers on their involvement is a reversal of what the education system should look like. Parents should be grading teachers on their performance,” Reim said.

But strengthening parent-teacher relationships is typically a major concern of the country’s teachers, something House Bill 4 seeks to address.

Different school systems are addressing the issue in different ways. The Parent/Teacher Home Project, for example, helps schools in seventeen different states build strong parent/teacher relationships through scheduled house visits.

"Both teachers and parents make their expectations clear, share their hopes and dreams for the child, and work together to meet them. Following the initial visit, the two sides work as a team on academic goals,” said former superintendent and current president of the Stuart Foundation, Jonathan Raymond.

Despite the bill’s seemingly good intentions, some worry the new legislation does too much "micromanaging" over people's lives. 

What do YOU think? Should teachers give parents a grade for their involvement in their child's education? Weigh-in by taking our poll below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

3/10/2016