Parental Involvement
As this academic year gets fully under way, we know one of the key predictors of student success is parental involvement. It is definitely important for parents to be involved academically - to know what is going on - so they can help their children and guide them to the next level in their education. As a principal, I made parental involvement one of my top priorities. Our student orientation day was also parent orientation day. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with our parents so that they had a chance to see who their administrative leadership team was, what our teachers' perspective in educating their children was, and all the resources our school had to offer. I believe it is a partnership. We adopt kids, and, over that time span, our relationship can only evolve if the parents are involved. I see parents as one of the three legs of the stool in education, along with students and faculty. Family engagement is absolutely invaluable and important at all grade levels.
As the principal and instructional leader, I want my school to be a welcoming place where parents feel they belong. It’s not about having one or two big parent events each year; it's about creating many meaningful smaller opportunities. As principal, I offered leadership and advocacy training to families and instituted school-based family liaisons to strengthen school-family ties. I strengthened online tools and outreach programs to inform parents about their children’s progress and the school’s academic standards, as well to help families reinforce classroom learning at home. Our parents could check grades, assignments, absences, and more - at any time, thanks to a parent portal they could access online and on the go. Once a month, I also had a principal chat with parents and students during a social gathering, followed by an educational presentation. Topics have included nutrition, Common Core, assessment, bullying, and planning for college. I also issued a monthly newsletter, and we created a Parent-of-the-Month bulletin board to showcase and thank our parents. The idea is to support not just the child in the school but also to strengthen the family around the child so that the child will have greater outcomes. To all parents: get involved and stay involved, lean into the education experiences of your children.
