Reporter Denise Sherman talked to a number of them during the first week of school for traditional calendar students and nearly all of them seemed to understand the reasons behind the cost-cutting measures taken by the Wake County school system.

While no one was thrilled by the changes, those she talked to seemed focused on making sure their children learned what they need to learn despite the budget slashing.

But there is opportunity in the midst of crisis.

Now more than ever, schools have a great opportunity to partner with parents.

Parents have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be as valuable to a student as anything they can learn from a textbook or a teacher.

Schools need to take this opportunity to welcome parents in.

Typically, elementary schools are best at incorporating parents into the classroom.

Middle schools do a lesser job and high schools seem even more inclined to push parents away.

But parents are a readily accessible resource. They have a great depth and breadth of experiences and a less formal way of communicating that information than teachers - something that might very well appeal to students who often wonder what the real-world applications are for the formulas and sentence diagrams they've been learning.

With fewer resources available, local schools need to be creative in how they provide for the students they must educate. That's no surprise. Teachers and principals have been gearing up since last summer for bigger classes and less money.

Tapping the knowledge base of the community is a win-win-win proposition.

Schools get teachers for free.

Students get a break from the monotony of a routine day and parents get what they've craved for eons -- open arms from a school system that often seems distant and disinterested in what parents have to offer.

There is no time like the present for schools to take advantage of that resource.