Most students wave goodbye to their parents at the drop-off line in the mornings. For some, their parent doesn’t just watch them pass through the school gates. They walk in with them. RUHS students with parents who work at the high school – whether as teachers, administrators, maintenance staff, or substitutes – often have a unique educational experience.
Senior Sophia Flores has a parent who works at RUHS. Her father, Rafael Flores, works in the school’s Information Technology (IT) Department.
“I really enjoy seeing [my dad at school],” Flores said. “It makes me happy knowing that I have a family member at school. I know a lot of teenagers get embarrassed [by their parents], but it makes me feel a lot safer.”
While many teenagers separate their school life from their home life, students who share their educational space with their parents have unique experiences. Sophomore Maggie Laux also has a parent on campus. Her mother, Barbara Bein, teaches Advanced Placement (AP) United States History at RUHS.
“[My mom] is always there for me. If I need to store stuff in her room or I need a ride home after school, she’s there. As a teacher, she knows what she’s talking about if I ever need help with homework,” Laux said. “School bonds us. Talking about homework and talking about school are things that we connect on.”
Even though they are in the same place, Laux and her mother aren’t constantly together. Throughout the day, they usually remain separated from one another and experience school independently.
“I think [my home and school lives are] very easily separable for me,” Laux said. “I don’t have to see [my mother] if I don’t want to, and she doesn’t have to see me if she doesn’t want to. RUHS is a really big campus.”
Flores interacts with her father on campus casually every day. Having a parent who works at the school, according to her, has also influenced how her friends and teachers interact with both her and her father.
“When my friends found out [that my dad worked at RUHS], they thought it was really cool. They say ‘hello’ to him, and he says ‘hello’ to them back,” Flores said. “I’ve also definitely been treated more positively by my teachers [because of my dad]. They always tell me how nice my dad is and how helpful he is to them when he helps them with their computers.”
As a sophomore with a mother teaching a junior class, Laux’s social and parental spheres remain mostly separate.
“It’s going to be interesting when [my classmates] have my mom [as their teacher],” Laux said. “A lot of them don’t really know my mom yet.”
According to Laux, having a parent at the school also increases pressure to perform well academically. This is especially true due to the school’s “teacher network.”
“I don’t want to mess up or embarrass [my mom] in any way, or embarrass myself [in front of] people she knows,” Laux said. “I put that pressure on myself […] I always strive to impress her.”
Flores and Laux agree that having a parent on campus is a positive and helpful experience. While their situations differ, they find support and bonding opportunities through sharing the school experience with their parents.
“[My dad] helps me through everything and supports me in all my decisions,” Flores said. “We have a good bond, and we’ve always been really close. I think that’s why it’s easier for me to see my dad at school and talk to him. He’s definitely helped me a lot with school and helped me become closer to the staff.”
