Tonight some parents in KELOLAND are getting a little Harvard University Education.
Karen Mapp, a lecturer on education at Harvard, is in Sioux Falls to talk to parents about getting more involved in their child's education as part of a free conference going on this weekend. 

Mapp says parents and educators must form a partnership in order for students to succeed.
This Harvard educator's message to fellow educators in Sioux Falls is to roll out the red carpet for parents in their schools. 

"One of the main messages I give to both parents and school staff is; you’ve got to work together. This job of teaching is very, very difficult. So when we work as partners it makes it much easier." 

But Mapp says up to this point, most school districts haven't done a good enough job of forming that partnership with parents. 

"I have to blame us in higher education because we haven't done the best job of training our principals and our teachers on how to engage with families so I think that's changing." 

Mapp has co-authored a manual on changing the way schools and parents interact. It's called "Beyond the Bake Sale." 

"Most parents care about their kids' education. There's no doubt about that. But a lot of times, they don't know how to do things at home or in a community to support what their children are leaning in school." 

Mapp says while many working parents may not have time to volunteer in their children's classrooms, there are still ways they can connect with what their children are learning in class. 

"Little things, like how can you turn cooking a meal into a wonderful exercise for your children around math or literacy. We've got to give our parents more tools so they can fit some of this support into their busy schedules." 

Ultimately Mapp says educators and parents want the same thing, it's just a matter of getting the two groups to work together for that common goal. 

"We have to expand our definition as family involvement." 

Mapp says getting parents more involved in education also takes community and business support.
Ten states already have laws in place that allow parents to take time off from work to attend their children's school functions without fear of losing their jobs.