Our lowest score was in the "Student Learning" section. #6. "Providing opportunities for staff members to learn about successful approaches to engaging parents in their child's learning" lowered our score, but it's something were working in for this year.
Also we have a really good volunteer form that we send out each fall, you can access a copy off our web site if you think it might be helpful our address is www.glps.k12.mi.us/~holbrook
Good luck, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.
mom with boys....I know and appreciate the words about volunteers. OUr group was started in fall of 2001 after a very very clicky pta. THere were alot of hard feelings there between staff and parents , i think i am still getting some feed back from that. It was years of negativity and no involvement at all....so having a parent group that is up to 45-50 volunteers for a whole mess of new events(mostly after school) may scare the staff. the kids and parents love it...i think its funny that the staff did a survey and the number one thing they wanted was parent involvement and now its hard to accept it. I am working on it and will say that there are staff members that are really great and coming around, i see progress every few months. The assessment has been great and has given us direction....we knew we have weak areas , now we do something to fix it...right=)its all so great and so important as well....
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
Try not to take your principals attitude too personally. I know it can be frustrating, but keep in mind teachers and principals are trained to deal with children not parents and they too often aren't able (or willing) to recognise that it takes all of us working together to make a school successful. Often school staff are hesitant to imbrase parents as partners and that hesitation is not always unfounded. For every good parent volunteer there has been the one who comes storming into the office ranting about some preceieved wrong done to "little Johnny". Parents are a mixed bag and schools just don't always know how to deal with them. It's our job as parent leaders to set the example. I think good parent leadership can be the bridge between the school staff and the parent population at large.
congratulations momwithboys. Knowing how much work it is I feel so happy for you. We are almost there and i would think it is a huge morale booster. I dont know if we will certify but know it has been such a great thing to do. Congrats!! For the fun of it what standard was your weakest??Ours has been volunteering...ugh
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
We just finished our Schools of Excellance Certification and it was a wonderful process. I would encourage you all to give it a try. It was really hard work but to receive that recognition has been a great boost for our parents, staff, & kids. Were now in the process of planning a big openhouse celebration
Hi Michelle....have to say that i feel so in over my head. I meet with our principal today and we got into a great conversation about the volunteer scores. I told her she has the scores and from there we can either do something to impliment a volunteer program or let it be swept under the rug.I told her that it came out that our school does not atke volunteering serious. We talked about the log, volunteer recognition all year, surveying parents interests, matching volunteers with interests, volunteer oportunities outside of classrooms. She agreed to ALL of it...Sounds great right...UGH she then said to me after all this that the staff decided not to celebrate National volunteer week in april, that it is to much work. they do a continental breakfast(donuts, danishes, fruit , juice) and that they moved it to the very end of May.last year i did the folded the inviatations and addressed them. I am not trying to sound petty but this was all done without one word. I just wondered how they would like it if we were too tired to do the week long celebration for teachers appreciation.we have within a three week period a grandparent luncheon, sockhop, bookfair, teachers appreciation as well as a staff lounge makeover. I also got a copy of our district parent involvement policy..it hasnt been looked at since 1996...yeah 1996. is it accurate, well.....NO. I just want to make things better and give parents the options of being involved, but how do you when it seems like its a brick wall....Im frustrated and know tomorrow is another PTO day=)just venting.....
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
