Five Elements – What Every Parent Should Expect from their Child’s School

1. A dedicated principal is visible to students and teachers and is constantly walking around campus, visiting classrooms making sure that good instruction is taking place. Sitting in the office or constantly attending conferences does not allow a principal to be aware of the needs of the school. By taking care of the small things immediately, a principal can alleviate the big problems from happening later on.
2. Effective teachers – A principal needs to spend time making sure the teachers hired are quality, not only in having the competence in the subject matter they are going to teach, but also having the character necessary to be effective teachers with students. Teachers who are confident in their subject matter and do not shy away from being held accountable for student learning are the teachers principals should employ. By aligning their instruction to the tests, effective teachers can gauge their students’ learning as well as gauging their teaching efficacy. This is called accountability for both the teaching and learning in the classroom. Schools need teachers who are rowing the boat (increasing student achievement) and who do not have time to rock the boat (be whiners and complainers). Teachers who frequently increase the rigor in their classrooms, while at the same time believing that their students can attain those high standards, are the teachers we want in our schools.
3. A comprehensive well-defined curriculum is needed to ensure the schools are meeting all of their students’ and community’s needs. Every school should be teaching the Arizona academic standards, and more importantly, should have common tests for each grade level at the elementary and at the course level in high schools. If parents want a fair and equitable education for their children, then schools must be held accountable for the teaching and testing of the standards, as well as for the awarding of grades in a fair and equitable manner. Schools must offer Honors and Advanced Placement courses to our brightest and most motivated students regardless of the number of students the school has enrolled. The arts and career and technical education courses round out the curriculum as well and should be made part of a student’s educational experience.
4. A strong discipline program is the fourth element necessary in all schools. When students know that there are consequences for bad behavior, they will only do what the market will bear. So, if students are consistently reinforced that positive behavior will be rewarded and bad behavior will not be tolerated, they will quickly understand their parameters. Giving students parameters and boundaries, so that they know how to behave in the classroom and on campus, will support positive structures for a climate that is conducive to learning. When teachers know that the principal will support them for having a strong discipline program in their classrooms they also become more disciplined in their own professional manner. I believe teachers will give you the keys to the curriculum if you provide a safe environment for them to teach.
5. Schools need to have motivated students. Most students will do well in school if they are motivated and are held accountable for their behaviors. We, as an educational entity, have for too long promoted students from one grade to another without proof that they were ready to move on to the next grade or the next course. Social promotion has hurt student motivation. One of the attributes for motivation that can garner the most significant growth in learning for a child is called Success. It creates the feeling of intrinsic forward motion for students. This doesn’t happen if the students already know what is being taught. Also, if a teacher rewards students for something they have not accomplished, that too, is un-motivating for students. Students know when they have achieved the intended learning. By promoting students to the next grade level or by allowing students to think it is okay to not demonstrate knowledge of the necessary material, the students’ lack of motivation in school, will only be compounded. By the time these students reach high school, so many learning gaps result, that many students just drop out. There are students who have learned to play the game by studying just enough to get passing grades rather than by working to their potential. That is why I believe Success is the most powerful attribute to motivation.