ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to understand what parents are doing as governors, it is necessary to interrogate what legally they ought to be doing and what in practice they actually do. Parents are involved in the new school governing bodies as elected members, in every respect equal to all other members. Parents as winners do not entail teachers or others as losers. Partnership implies something of value contributed on a basis of equality from each towards the achievement of a common goal. The political points are eschewed. So are philosophical points about parental and other rights, improved democracy, and fairer representation. A school governing body can hardly be a Board of Directors and a consumer council at one and the same time, though of course over time it may develop some of the functions of each. The fine texture of parent governors' representation needs to be understood if they are to be supported towards full participation.
