Part-time Columnist

Dallas Morning News Article - March 11, 2005

Mahesh Shetty: Where are the minorities among school volunteers?
12:05 AM CST on Friday, March 11, 2005

A recent editorial in this paper pointed out that the change in demographics over the last 10 years in Collin County belies the image of Collin County as an all-white bastion. In fact, almost 40 percent of the school population in Plano is minority.

In another article, this paper published a report that showed the dramatic increase in the number of economically disadvantaged (political speak for "poor") children in Plano schools – from less than 10 percent in 1998 to an estimated 27 percent in 2008. Are these numbers related? Hard to say, judging from two isolated numbers, but I would venture to guess that there is a high degree of statistical correlation. It is to the credit of the Plano School District that they have managed to maintain excellent academic standards in spite of the challenges brought on by a rapidly changing student population.

In the midst of these numbers there is another striking nugget – in spite of the change in the school population, a random poll of parents leading school volunteer efforts would reveal that they are predominantly white. The same is true if you look at the soccer or baseball coaches, Scout leaders and so on. It raises the question: Where are the minority leaders, and how can they participate in the volunteering effort and support their children and the community?

It is easy to make excuses. It's hard to deal with change: Parents of first-generation kids are still coming to terms with the American lifestyle, and since English may not be their first language, they lack the confidence to express their ideas easily. There is clearly the issue of economics: When both parents work to pay bills, time becomes a natural enemy of voluntary activities. And there is the complex matter of culture: To Asian parents' education is a security blanket. They are extremely protective of their children and their homework, but less inclined to participate in school activities if it takes time away from learning. Finally, we still have some residual elitism: When friends gather to volunteer, they are naturally and understandably resistant to embracing or welcoming other parents with whom they may not have much in common.

But things have to change. It is incumbent on both the schools and the parents if we want to maintain and improve the current standards of the school system.

As an immigrant, I have great admiration for the volunteering ethic that is such an intrinsic part of the American culture. The passion and commitment of the parents is both inspiring and heartwarming. When my boys attended Dallas schools, my wife, Sandya, an active volunteer, was constantly frustrated by the PTA's inability to attract minority parents.

Clearly the conventional method is not working. The schools and the school district need to engage in an aggressive outreach program to enlist minority parents to volunteer and participate. Schools should consider working in concert with the local religious organizations and spread the message of volunteerism and explain how it helps schools and children.

Volunteering in the current environment is primarily a weekday activity, but it can potentially attract more parents if schools made their facilities available on a limited basis on weekends to facilitate involvement. Once the message gets out and some parents get engaged, the process will feed on itself and be self-perpetuating.

Children in schools with active parents (rich or poor), I submit, easily outperform children in schools with no parental involvement. Children take great pride when their parents are visible in school activities, and it instills in them the values of community involvement. It also helps parents assimilate faster in the community and can transform Collin County into a true melting pot of cultures instead of just a mosaic of fascinating, but unmatched, colors.

Mahesh Shetty is a Richardson finance executive and a Voices of Collin County volunteer columnist. His e-mail address is msshetty@aol.com. Different Voices columnists appear every Friday.

posted by Mahesh Shetty @ 9:05 PM