Parent Partnership Policy

Chaska Public Schools (1989) in Chaska, Minnesota, has developed the following policy to promote partnerships with parents and families:

"DISTRICT 112 PARENT PARTNERSHIP POLICY

Rationale
It is the goal of School District 112 to develop strong partnerships with the home. Parents and schools working as partners increase student achievement and help students develop positive attitudes about self and school.

The key factor in the home-school partnership is the relationship between the teacher and the parent. Teachers are professionals who manage a variety of instructional resources. Parents are an essential resource in the learning process of their children. Organizational support from the School Board, district administration, and building principals enables teachers to effectively develop the partnership.

District 112 schools already are active in fostering the home-school relationship. The intent of this policy is to result in consciously doing those things already in practice in a more efficient, consistent, and effective manner, as well as generating new ways of strengthening the partnership.

Policy
The partnership between home and school will be supported by:

The development of an infrastructure to continually assess, plan, and implement strategies that build the partnership.

A districtwide committee of parents, teachers, and administrators to guide overall program efforts and serve as a home-school partnership network.

Coordination of activities through the staff development system in areas of teacher in-service, assessment of teaching strengths, and communication with parents toward creation of the best possible learning experience for each child.

Self-study of parent involvement practices by teams of parents, teachers, and the administrator in each school using the following seven basic principles considered essential to home-school partnerships as a guide:

Every aspect of the school climate is open, helpful, and friendly.

Communications with parents (whether about school policies and programs or about their own children) are frequent, clear, and two-way.

Parents are treated as collaborators in the educational process, with a strong complementary role to play in the children's school learning and behavior.

Parents are encouraged, both formally and informally, to comment on school policies and to share in the decision making.

The principal and other school administrators actively express and promote the philosophy of partnership with all families.

The school encourages volunteer participation from parents and the community at large.

The school recognizes its responsibility to forge a partnership with all families in the school, not simply those most easily available.

Resources provided to principals, teachers, and parents by the Parent Partnership Liaison.

School District 112, its School Board, and staff will provide leadership in development of clear avenues of parent involvement. Full realization of the partnership will be achieved through the ongoing commitment and active participation by both home and school."

References