When parents choose to start up a school

Abstract

PurposeBy exploring the unique networks of parents, this paper attempts to shed light on the assumptions of social capital theory, showing the advantages of combining bonding and bridging social capital for educational entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper focuses on a group of Israeli parents who founded a new school. Data collection and analysis were based on the grounded theory perspective. In total, 20 in‐depth interviews were conducted. Triangulation was achieved by studying the phenomenon from different perspectives: those of the founders, school employees, and people who supported the founding of the school. The data were analyzed using categorization techniques.FindingsThe paper finds that bonding and bridging social capital complemented each other. Whereas the former was employed to take advantage of existing opportunities in the community, the latter was used to explore new opportunities that would otherwise not be available. Moreover, it was found that both strong and weak ties may be used by parents to obtain scarce resources. The study shows that parents with cultural capital know the “rules of the game” and can therefore take advantage of network opportunities to ensure the school's survival.Originality/valueThis paper reframes parental involvement, using social capital as a theoretical perspective. From this perspective, it uncovers the deeper aspects of the network dynamics and unique circumstances created when bonding and bridging social capital are combined.

Education and New Developments 2019

“…This qualitative study used a 'data triangulation', which is the use of multiple sources of data to reach the same data set, to study the phenomenon from different perspectives (Eyal 2008;Eyal 2008;Zambrana et al 2015). The different sources include document reading, school observation, interviews with school staff and outside agencies, newspapers, the internet, and protocols of meetings of Israeli parliamentary committees.…”

“…The above types can be classified by degrees of involvement (Goldring and Shapira 1993). Parental involvement refers to participation or reactions of parents when they have no control over the educational processes in schools (in Eyal 2008). Parental empowerment refers to parental control in schools, manifested by the principal letting parents take part in decision-making.…”

“…The relations between school and parents have changed since the establishment of the State in 1948. The Israeli educational system was centralized since its establishment and parents were not allowed to be involved until the 80's (Eyal 2008), due to the mass immigration of Jews into the country and the need to build a national identity. Since then the system has been decentralized, as a result of cutbacks in the budget and recognition of cultural diversity (Eyal 2008), and later on privatization.…”

“…The Israeli educational system was centralized since its establishment and parents were not allowed to be involved until the 80's (Eyal 2008), due to the mass immigration of Jews into the country and the need to build a national identity. Since then the system has been decentralized, as a result of cutbacks in the budget and recognition of cultural diversity (Eyal 2008), and later on privatization. All this promoted parental initiatives and schools of choice (Shapira andHaymann, 1991 in Eyal 2008).…”

Can a school change its spots? The first year of transforming to an innovative school

“…The parents play a modest formal part as they are chosen every year for membership of the parents' committee, which mainly helps with extra-curricular activities and has little influence on pedagogical and administrative issues. Parent involvement is different though, when innovation is the matter in hand (Eyal 2008).…”