All Children Are Our Children: the Motivation of Parent Advocates

The purpose of the study was to talk to parents who ¿fight attitudes and perceptions that date back centuries and a school system whose resistance to change is unparalleled¿ (Fine, 1993, p. 692) and see how they persevere as they try to transform this system. Narrative inquiry, using semi-structured interviews, was used to explore the common characteristics and motivations of parents who are advocating for changes within their children¿s school. All the participants in this study were mothers of children enrolled in public schools. The findings suggest that these women are motivated by a combination of external and internal factors. Implications for practice include the creation of curricula in adult education programs that will educate parents about the school system, their rights, and various means of advocacy. Recommendations for future research include looking at how children are affected by their parents¿ activism.