News from the Superintendent: October 26, 2010

October 26, 2010

Good morning.

This is an important week for middle and high schools. Student-led parent-teacher conferences are taking place as we speak. The more we do them, the more convinced I am of their value, especially when everyone is well-prepared. Obviously, if students are going to be out of class for two days, then the conferences need to be worth everyone’s while.

It’s important that parents have a full understanding of where their children stand. If a child is progressing at the expected rate, a parent wants to hear that. If a child is struggling in some area, a parent certainly needs to hear that.

We’ve already seen some good results with these conferences after having held them in this format twice last year. Some schools reported a 90 percent attendance rate by parents. That says a lot for how many parents are taking the need for these conferences seriously, and for how useful the information presented by students and teachers has been.

The new Student Advisory Handbooks have provided a clear roadmap for students about how to prepare their presentations, and given you a way to help them when they got stuck. They seem like the right tool for the job.

Ideally, you’re meeting with parents of students who are in your classes this year. I know that’s not the case everywhere, and it’s been a bone of contention with critics of this process. In these cases, perhaps the more the students run the conference, the better. That way, parents will see how much their children have put into their presentations and how thoughtful they’ve been about what the future holds for them.

As educators, the more communication you have with parents and know you have their support, the easier life will be in the classroom. Thank you for continuing to encourage and support your students.

Have a great week and good luck with your conferences.

Winston Brooks
Superintendent