Communication between parents and teachers
School committee candidate Cecilia Okafor has a letter in yesterday's Lowell Sun (Tuesday, Aug. 23) about the importance of effective communication between parents and teachers. She points out that parents are often dealing with language barriers and difficult work schedules that prevent them from getting into a school to see teachers. At the same time, teachers feel frustrated when parents don't respond to notes or telephone calls.
None of this is anything new to the CPC; we have been advocating for more parent involvement and improved school-home communication for years. Some of the solutions that Cecilia calls for, such as increased access to teachers by distributing their telephone numbers to parents, may already be in place at certain schools. This should be standard practice at all of our schools. I also think that more teachers should encourage email communications. As for having meetings and activities at times that are convenient for parents, it is a good idea, but has to be negotiated with the teachers' union (no easy task, from what I've heard).
Cecilia also suggests that the CPC phone number be more widely publicized. When I met with her last month, I was disturbed to realize that she had had difficulty finding out about the CPC and how to contact us. We put out a monthly newsletter, a brochure with contact information, maintain a website, go on the local radio stations and have our meetings broadcast on cable TV, yet still there are parents who don't know about us. As the new Chair of the CPC, I plant to find more ways to reach out to parents and guardians, so that our common goal, as Cecilia Okafor puts it, of 'well-adjusted, well-educated children' can become a reality for all of our families.
None of this is anything new to the CPC; we have been advocating for more parent involvement and improved school-home communication for years. Some of the solutions that Cecilia calls for, such as increased access to teachers by distributing their telephone numbers to parents, may already be in place at certain schools. This should be standard practice at all of our schools. I also think that more teachers should encourage email communications. As for having meetings and activities at times that are convenient for parents, it is a good idea, but has to be negotiated with the teachers' union (no easy task, from what I've heard).
Cecilia also suggests that the CPC phone number be more widely publicized. When I met with her last month, I was disturbed to realize that she had had difficulty finding out about the CPC and how to contact us. We put out a monthly newsletter, a brochure with contact information, maintain a website, go on the local radio stations and have our meetings broadcast on cable TV, yet still there are parents who don't know about us. As the new Chair of the CPC, I plant to find more ways to reach out to parents and guardians, so that our common goal, as Cecilia Okafor puts it, of 'well-adjusted, well-educated children' can become a reality for all of our families.
1 Comments:
When things go wrong in schools, communications is usually at the heart of the problem. Keep plugging away! It is groups like yours that definately need to be there for the kids.
www.parent-involvement-in-schools.com
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