Lessons learned
One thing I try to do is learn from as many people and circumstances as possible. Two days last week I worked alongside principals from districts across the state. One of those principals happened to have the distinction of being the administrator of a school that recently received an A on their report card.
I took some time to find out what distinguished his school from mine. I quickly discovered that our socio-economic status was very similar, both schools in the 80% or higher range. His school has about 70% of the students that speak a language other than english at home, which is higher than my school. At this point the similarities begin to disappear.
His school is a charter school and subsequently has some different requirements & ideals that can be enforced. His school is considered a college prep school and students must apply for admission. At his school, there is a required amount of parent support, as well as an attendance requirement. Should parents fail attend the required hours or volunteer as expected then the student can be sent back into the regular school setting.
These factors create a different mindset in the students and parents.
I don't say this to bemoan the situation my school is in, but instead it brings me to ask a few questions. What can I learn from their success? Parental support is essential. How can I get more parental support? How can I/we instill a desire to be in a learning environment and maximize learning?
That is the dilemma facing many schools. How do we get more parental involvement when so many parents have to work multiple jobs or work hours that prohibit being involved in school? How do we instill a love of learning in every child? How do we make sure every child is receiving quality instruction?
I took some time to find out what distinguished his school from mine. I quickly discovered that our socio-economic status was very similar, both schools in the 80% or higher range. His school has about 70% of the students that speak a language other than english at home, which is higher than my school. At this point the similarities begin to disappear.
His school is a charter school and subsequently has some different requirements & ideals that can be enforced. His school is considered a college prep school and students must apply for admission. At his school, there is a required amount of parent support, as well as an attendance requirement. Should parents fail attend the required hours or volunteer as expected then the student can be sent back into the regular school setting.
These factors create a different mindset in the students and parents.
I don't say this to bemoan the situation my school is in, but instead it brings me to ask a few questions. What can I learn from their success? Parental support is essential. How can I get more parental support? How can I/we instill a desire to be in a learning environment and maximize learning?
That is the dilemma facing many schools. How do we get more parental involvement when so many parents have to work multiple jobs or work hours that prohibit being involved in school? How do we instill a love of learning in every child? How do we make sure every child is receiving quality instruction?
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