COMMUNITY RELATIONS

WHEREAS, teachers are a group of professional specialists whose public respect and personal satisfaction must depend solely upon competent performance of educational services to pupils; and

WHEREAS, parents have a basic responsibility for the education of the children; and

WHEREAS, society, as parents patriae, has a fundamental concern for education; and

WHEREAS, to a considerable extent, the realization of the pupils' potential depends, in addition to an adequate provision for public education by society, upon the following factors:

The mutual respect of teachers and parents;

The recognition of their common goals in the achievement of the pupils;

The development of more effective communication and better understanding between teachers and parents; and

WHEREAS, the operation of these factors has become increasingly difficult because of the complexities of urban life, resulting in unnecessary conflict among those persons who influence the pupils:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers in convention assembled deplore any estrangement between teachers and parents as a cause of unwholesome tension in the pupil, a hindrance to his free development, an obstacle to the satisfaction of the teacher in his professional performance and a source of frustration and hostility among parents toward the organized efforts of teachers to improve education; and

RESOLVED, that we call upon every local to establish a standing committee on Community Relations, for the purpose of developing communication with parents and their chosen spokesman; and

RESOLVED, that the Executive Council establish a continuing body to act as consultant and clearinghouse to locals in this endeavor.