Are you brand new to the teaching profession or are you a seasoned veteran? Undoubtedly, you love children and want them to be happy, healthy, safe and successful. An educator’s day to day grind can be very demanding, even daunting at times and unfortunately, her focus on overall student success becomes distorted by policy and programs, rules and reforms, budgets and bus duty, curriculum and conferences, testing and teacher evaluations and so much more. We understand her plight, we were teachers and administrators once too. But we have two simple steps to help educators focus on what is important; students and strong partnerships with families and the community. A shift in focus can enable parents being more connected with the school and teachers feeling more supported and students having greater academic success.
Step 1- Read Building a High Achieving School 3 C’s to Success, 2nd Edition
This book is specifically designed to highlight the exact components of a high achieving school that research has proven makes a tremendous impact on students’ success. We go beyond the narrow view of test data related strategies to a comprehensive and detailed approach to school excellence. Through our own experience in public education, we have found that building relationships and investing in collective family, school, and community partnerships is a common thread that is evident among all high achieving and successful schools. So in this publication we will explore all aspects of education, including; creating a climate and culture that is conducive for building trust among all stakeholders, creating strong literacy and STEM programs, navigating and understanding school improvement data and state accountability measures, implementing effective communication techniques, forming school partnerships and implementing outreach strategies, being an effective school leader, and enhancing professional development. All of these components are significant but coupled with proven family engagement initiatives they become the foundation for school and student success. So reading, understanding and implementing the principles in this book are key to securing a solid foundation on which to build greater depth to student learning and parent relationships and partnerships.
Step 2 – Read Family Engagement and Nurturing Children to be Independent Thinkers
“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but how it thinks.” – Christopher Hitchins
Just the mention of state standardized tests to any educator can send waves of unease and even anger pumping through her veins. This book raises the question and provides real answers for how educators can tackle the challenge of preparing children for a highly qualified workforce, with the skills and knowledge needed to compete and succeed in a global economy while still being bond and accountable to a standardized test curriculum and changing family dynamics that can negatively affect student success. We all know that skill drills and rote memorization makes students good test takers but not critical thinkers and problem solvers. Add to that the unique health, income, and basic human needs obstacles our children face and we are presented with a real crisis to equip students to become productive citizens prepared to perform successfully in future careers. So this book will help you break the myth behind parent stereotypes and family engagement practices and give you actual case studies to help you identify and collaborate with different parent groups and stakeholders. We will also provide you with strategies and solutions and action plans to educate and equip and cultivate empowered parents. If we work together we will help our children be successful independent thinkers!
Together let’s build a high achieving school and smart, critical thinkers ready for success!
