5 things working parents wished teachers knew

In this back-to-school season, a few ideas for how the working parent-teacher relationship might function more smoothly:

1. Working moms don't appreciate Mommy Homework. I'm not sure any moms do, actually. Mommy Homework includes building ancestor dolls that require a trip to crafts stores. (Note to teachers: Most of your second graders don't yet drive, which means they must be driven there to spend their parents' hard-earned money on Styrofoam shapes and fabrics.) Mommy Homework is also building volcanoes for science and California missions for fourth grade social studies. Mommy Homework is anything that cannot actually be completely done by the child, your student. Mommies are not your students. Please go write that on the blackboard.

2. Working parents really cannot volunteer in your classroom. We'd like to, but we have jobs to go to -- the same as you do. We do not ask you to come to our offices and help us do our work and we would appreciate not being expected to come to your office -- the classroom -- to help you do yours. Yes, we know about budget cuts and overcrowded classrooms. We also know that taking time off in the middle of our work day will either eat into our paltry allotted vacation time or cost us our job entirely. Please don't make those of us who must work for a living feel guilty about our inability to participate in the classroom. Our contributions are called paying our taxes. P.S. to every PTA in America: We'd like to join you and have our voices be heard, so maybe you could actually hold your meetings in the evening? In 2008, there were 9,753,000 single mothers raising kids and 70.7% of those mothers were employed. That's a lot of missed PTA meetings.