Susan West, Parent, Christian Academy of Louisville
As the parents of two teenage daughters—Emily, a sophomore, and Ellen, an eighth grader—my husband and I have had many opportunities to communicate with their teachers, coaches, and administrators. For the past 10 years, our family has had the unique privilege to be part of what began as a small independent Christian school and has become one of the nation’s largest independent multi-campus Christian school systems.
We became involved with Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) when we enrolled our daughter Emily in its kindergarten. Total school enrollment for the year 1992 was 399, with kindergarten through grade twelve on one campus. There were two kindergarten classes in 1992, five kindergarten classes in 1993, and seven kindergarten classes in 1994. The thought was to "grow the school from the bottom up." Today we have five campuses across two states, Kentucky and Indiana. Projected enrollment for the 2003–2004 school year is 1,920, and there are plans to add more campuses in the near future.
My husband and I have learned how to deal with small-school problems and large-school problems. We have experienced and dealt with many growing pains, which came from issues surrounding new campuses, carpool and bus operations, cafeteria time schedules, campus security, the faculty hiring process, fund-raising, and the creation of an athletic program. Throughout this ten-year process, CAL has implemented several steps to improve communication with parents and thus help them feel connected with the school. The following four tips for better ties between parents and schools have come out of what I have seen take place at CAL.
Pursue Quality Leadership
In any organization, the effects of quality leadership trickle down the ladder of management. Christian Academy of Louisville is no exception. By 1992, the decision to allow the growth of CAL was made. CAL’s search committee went across the country for almost two years to find the present executive director, Bill McKinley. The committee was dedicated to achieving excellence and not thinking too small, knowing that God was in control. The board of CAL had a vision of growing into a multi-campus school system, and Bill McKinley has helped achieve this vision with a humble spirit, consistent excellence, and superior leadership.
As organizations grow, their top leaders are sometimes so busy that it can become increasingly difficult to talk with them. Mr. McKinley has been an exception to this tendency. He often attends sporting events and PTO-sponsored family events, and walks through the campus halls. He always has time to stop and chat. Bill McKinley exemplifies prioritizing communication with parents.
I can remember that a few years ago an issue came up about a community club that wanted to continue meeting on campus, but the school administration was split on the decision. Mr. McKinley took time to communicate with school parents to get details concerning the situation. Parents knew their voices were being heard, and as a result they felt that the school showed concern for their children.
Foster Open Communication
Coffee and Tea with Mrs. P, Time with Thomas, and Greetings with Greener—these may sound silly, but they are actually the titles of very popular parent meetings with the CAL principals. The PTO sponsors these open forums periodically throughout the year. For about 10 minutes, the principal gives the parents an overview of the past month in the elementary, middle, or high school. Then parents can ask the principal any questions. Typical discussion topics include skirt lengths of the uniforms for female students, too much homework on Wednesday nights, or carpool pick-up problems in the parking lot.
While the school newspaper could simply give information about these topics, the open forum allows for in-depth discussion. Parents feel better when they know that their concerns for their children are being heard. One of the hot topics this past school year was instant messaging among the middle school students. The middle school principal had a deep concern for the time spent creating these messages and the content of them. Her opening comments included some information about the typical messages such as "parent in room, can’t talk right now." This topic spurred parents to talk about their own concerns regarding their children’s computer activities, and other parents gave suggestions about curing these problems. Because of this forum of open communication, participants addressed many problems, and parents like myself went home feeling that the school had assisted us in making Christ-centered decisions about child rearing.
Use Technology
Several years ago, a new computer system was installed throughout our elementary, middle, and high schools. With this new technology has come increased communication among teachers, parents, and students. Parents can go online daily and view all student grades and attendance records. So when my child receives a low test score, I can speak immediately with her about it. I can then email the teacher with any questions and maybe set up a conference.
The website includes morning announcements so that parents know such information as the time and location of sporting events, the chapel speaker for each week, and the club meetings held during break time. As a parent, I am more connected to my students’ educational environment.
On its website, the school also posts detailed information about each school campus. The website includes sport team pictures, schedules, and final scores. Viewers can also read about and see pictures of children who have achieved academic excellence. The website contains the school calendar, admission requirements, and directions to each campus. Parents have been able to view information about campus-wide events such as our golf scramble, with the ability to download the participation form. And during the war with Iraq, families could email prayer requests for loved ones who were serving in the military.
Practice Prayer
Schools and parents need to seek God’s will in all requests. By keeping Jesus Christ the center of all parent requests and administration requests, a common bond will develop, and human egos will be set aside.
Several years ago, CAL was going through a massive fund-raising campaign. The number one request for each family was not to give money but to pray daily. Each family received a bookmark that had on it a list of prayer requests for the campaign. Each family was asked to keep this bookmark in a visible location and to pray for God’s leading each day. CAL represents over 60 churches throughout the community and serves all grades from kindergarten through high school. This diverse group of families bonded significantly in their common prayers.
My family has been richly blessed by being a very small part of Christian Academy of Louisville. The use of these few tips of communication has deepened our relationship with the school. And this relationship constitutes the way a school should be—parents speaking to administrators and administrators speaking to parents, all for the betterment of the students.
What Makes Parents Feel Part of a School Partnership 7.1