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Proactive Communication
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A vital, proactive link to parents is the establishment of a parent advisory meeting schedule. These meetings should convene at least quarterly and be open to all parents. An exclusive, handpicked or volunteer parent committee can invite accusations of elitism and generally will make it difficult to get balanced feedback. An open meeting will provide an opportunity for all parents to attend, listen to the issues and initiatives, and provide valuable feedback. The format should be informal and include the following: |
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- principal's report,
- event review,
- important issues,
- and open forum.
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Parents should hear the principal’s report on policy changes, concerns, and proposals. It is important to review all events including registration, open house, parent conferences, homecoming, graduation, and everything in between. An open meeting allows the principal to hear concerns about programs, trends, and ideas for improvement.
It is also important to spend time going over the school’s decision-making process or consensus-building model with parents, students, and faculty. The role of the principal, staff, students, and parents in this process is critical for everyone to understand. This puts into perspective the role of each group, the need to look at different perspectives, and the principal’s role as a facilitator.
Parent advisory meetings can be instrumental in the school improvement process. They can minimize the number of angry phone calls and degree of armchair quarterbacking (“if I were running that school, here’s what I’d do”). Attendance will vary but there will likely be a core of parents that attend every meeting. Those “regulars” are good candidates for interview committees, high school representatives on district committees, and other key parent volunteer roles.
The establishment of a parent advisory meeting schedule should be a first step in a new principal’s transition to a school district. Gaining parent insights about school issues, needed changes, and historical perspectives can help the principal facilitate a shared vision for school improvement and student success. |
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| Working with Parents...a Secondary Principal's Perspective |
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