Contagious School Outbreak: Low-School Expectations Disease

Have you ever looked at the 65 your scholar got on the spelling test and said, “Don’t worry baby; I’m sure you are not the only one?” What about the dreadful car ride home after a tough loss in a basketball tournament? Did you say, “I’ve talked to other coaches who are experiencing a losing streak; so your Dad and I aren’t too concerned about what’s happening on the court since it’s trending?” No? Me neither. And neither do parents who set high expectations for their children.

This approach is no different than the high expectations that leaders set at higher-performing schools. Did you know that most of the habits of higher performing schools are VERY achievable for ALL schools? No magic wand. But VERY doable!!

I challenge parents to bring these expectations to your school leaders, PTO members, teachers, and parents and ask how you can get started with enhancing the culture at your child’s school.

After all, YOUR child is your greatest INVESTMENT; and it’s your RIGHT and responsibility to support high-performing expectations both in and outside of school.

Like they say…talk is cheap. So if you don’t see evidence of this actually happening in your school, don’t be afraid to speak up and insist on working on committees that focus on enhancing academic achievement.

3 Signs of High-Performing Schools

1. High Levels of Community and Parent Engagement

• Students, parents, and school staff all feel a sense of responsibility in the educational process.
• Community involvement is evident through formal partnerships and informal relationships and activities.
• A wide range of parent committees and high numbers of parents are engaged in schools.
• Parents are involved in a variety of ways in engaging in schools.
• A broad range of parents and community members have active voices in school improvement processes
• Parents are offered training and assistance in the roles they can play.
• Parents are “recruited” from a wide range of groups to serve in key roles.

2. High Standards and Expectations for All Students

• Students are clear about what expectations are and what quality work is.
• Staff and students articulate their belief in their capacity for success.
• Instruction is personalized for students.
• Staff members are transparent about the school's true performance.
• Staff engages in honest conversations with students about their testing results.
• Staff and teachers facilitate the learning, not lecture.

3.  High Levels of Collaboration and Communication

• Monthly new letters are sent to external stakeholders (parents and community) to engage them in the educational process and decision-making.
• Monthly staff and parent meetings to involve them in school improvement together.
• Visibly posted calendars of teamwork projects are evident in schools among teachers, administration, students, and parents.
• Communication is of high quality and timely.
• High quality means clear, correct, complete, concise, and compassionate
• Timely means emails and calls are responded to in 24-48 hours even if it’s just to acknowledge receipt and  give a specific follow-up date 

If your school leaders report that they "model these behaviors" at your child's school, but you do not see the evidence, I encourage you to get active before it's too late. As always, be encouraged as you continue to unapologetically advocate for OUR children.