The Importance of Parent Involvement

Schools across the nation struggle with parent involvement and engagement. As students climb in age, the parent involvement diminishes. This is counter intuitive to what should be happening. As students get older and climb in grades that is when parental support is the most needed. Schools that can develop an engagement strategy to involve families are seen as more equitable, culturally responsive, and collaborative. The most effective approach to increasing family engagement is to seamlessly integrate the approach as a basic component of the school program. Successful strategies include decision-making, collaborating with the community, volunteering, communicating, and learning at home. Parental involvement in learning, which necessitates school-home communication and parental engagement is a vital component in student academic success. The goal should be to develop a trusting, welcoming environment for parents to become involved. When schools build this type of environment, parents are much more involved.

In the current climate of education today, with technology readily available and accessible, it is not acceptable to proceed without parental involvement. The driving question should not be whether a parent was contacted but instead, whether a conversation was held. Educators have the professional obligation to pursue family involvement and a moral commitment to make certain the follow through is completed. According to the comprehensive supports for student learning theory, external barriers, such as societal, familial, neighborhood conditions can lead to active disengagement. In order to combat the barriers, the complementary learning theory suggests learning supports from the parents, family, and community can overcome significant external barriers.

The bottom line in all the research is family engagement in the school is a vital component to increasing student achievement.

Until next time...

Brand New Day

September has arrived and with it comes Labor Day.  Often thought of as the official end of summer, Labor Day has another meaning for educators.  It symbolizes the beginning of the grind. The orientations that come with the start of school are past and a large calendar of days lay before us. The difference this year is we are in the midst of a pandemic. Our ability to connect with our students is greatly diminished, not to mention our interaction with colleagues.  This distance and isolation can be a cause for concern and we should all be vigilant with our attention. It is important to note that September is also Suicide Prevention Month. Take the time to reach out to someone and ask them how they are doing. If you are having a difficult time, know that it is never as bad as it seems. Never make a permanent decision for a temporary situation.  Seek help and if you don’t know how, find me.  I will listen. I will help. Believe it or not, no matter how dark the night is, the sun is on it’s way. That being said, have a great Labor Day weekend. I wish you all a most wonderful weekend…Go PUPS! (cue Josh Radin - Brand New Day).

Failing Forward

The times are certainly trying. There are plenty of things in the world today that can lead us to think negative however, I choose something different.  I see people around me showing resilience and innovation as they address some of the greatest challenges of our generation. Many are taking risks, failing from their attempt, learning from their mistakes, and evolving as they prepare to take on the next challenge.  We in education are always a mirror image of the communities we serve so therefore, it is not a reach to say the same exists in education. 

Since schools have closed because of this pandemic, I have experienced some amazing transformations in classrooms.  Teachers, in a very short period of time, completely renovated what they were doing so they could deliver lessons in a virtual environment.  Fast forward to the fall and opening of schools, I see teachers utilizing digital tools in creative ways. Though I am impressed with all classes that have ‘tooled up’, I am humbled by the elective areas.  To watch art class, PE classes, and the shops operate in the digital world simply amazes me.

Though this transformation in education continues daily across the country, educators were not always so skilled.  They were forced into the environment and had to learn on the job.  Many struggled, many attempts failed, however an incredible thing happened.  In order to bridge the understanding of technology, sometimes students became the teachers and teachers became the students.  Students were able to help the teachers with their technology challenges and all made it through.   

The most difficult part of this whole process wasn’t the planning or the lessons, it was failure. When the most anxiety-provoking feeling was confronted, learning happened.  Educators learned from failure and didn’t quit. They pressed on as they tell their students to do everyday.  They failed forward.  They learned. They improved.  I believe some of these changes will remain long after the pandemic is over making us better and prepared to take on the next great challenge. 

Until next time...

My Goals Remain

Friday has arrived and another week of distance learning is behind us. This year is difficult not only because of the COVID shutdown, but we have California fires and bad air, families out of work, Nationwide civil unrest, and a political season that has filled people with hate and discontent. Though this is a very difficult time for everyone, I try to focus on what I can control, which is my emotions and my actions.  That, of course, has not always been the case but I have tried to improve personally and professionally in that category.  Years ago I committed to three goals in my life: To be the best father I can be; to be the best husband I can be; and to be the best human I can be.  Though there are days that I fail miserably at all three, my goals remain. With those failures, I have learned to pause, consider the impact of my actions, apologize when needed, reflect, and most of all make it right. This personal reflection I believe has made me a better educator. During this time in all our lives, we need less talking and more listening.  We need compassion and we need consideration. That being said, we also need a calming weekend. I wish you all a most excellent weekend…Go PUPS! (cue Ambrosia - Biggest Part of Me).

 

What a week!

What a week!  As I said in the staff meeting, I am beginning my 25th year in the profession and this is by far the hardest.  Not only are we dealing with new computer systems, new communication systems, and foreign online environments, but we have the fear and uncertainty of the pandemic on our minds.  No matter what I am faced with, my goal is always to be genuine, to be transparent, and to be real.  Anything less is seen, or soon known, as such.  One day, we will all look back on this time and tell stories of the great pandemic. Hopefully they will be stories of inspiration and perseverance and not misery and sorrow.  That being said, take some time this weekend to relax and transport yourself to the good ole days. You know…the times when masks were not needed, you could eat out at a restaurant, and the ‘bad guys’ were known as bad guys. Have a most excellent weekend.  Go PUPS! (cue Eddie Money – I want to go back) 

Finality of Playoffs

It is the time of November when the seasons of sport begin to shift.  Some fall sports and still involved is playoffs however, some have had their seasons end abruptly. That finality of playoffs is not often talked about with students.  For some students, they have next year and for seniors, they may not ever play that sport again competitively.  That reality sinks in usually after the final game and in the playoffs, more times than not, the final game is a loss. Only one team ends their season with a win and they are called the champion. So, though I enjoy the spirit of competition and want our teams to always win, I understand the finality for students on both sides. I see the tears; some of joy and some of complete devastation. Both very real. Enjoy your weekend with the tremendous weather...GO PUPS! (cue: Van Halen, Dance The Night Away).

Quite the Contrary.

November 1st is here and it marks the end of the grading period. This is the perfect time to reflect on our practice as professionals.  Everyday we must remember that parents send us their best.  They don’t keep the ‘good ones’ at home and send us the leftovers.  Quite the contrary. We are a public school that takes all comers with the goal of receiving them in the morning and sending home just a little better than they arrived to us. We don’t have to make huge changes, just small ones daily that add will up. That will truly make the difference.  Case in point: Today in history, Amazon. com was registered as a domain name in 1994.  The company launched in 1995 with the mission “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company”. No doubt that was a bold goal. I bring this up because my goal is similar: to make a difference in the lives of students. Just like with Amazon, the decision to start is the greatest challenge. May you have wonderous weekend…Go PUPS! (cue: The Who, Who Are You).