"Some of the topics we intend to address as we work toward a covenant are communication; teacher conferences and discipline; how to address academic difficulties; social and behavioral expectations; modeling moral and ethical standards; support systems for students, parents, and teachers; policy and governance issues; and parent support activities," Katz said. In developing the document, school leaders intend to be particularly attentive to concerns that parents bring to them in their communication with the Schools, Katz said. (David Feldman, Principal of the Middle School and leader of a committee preparing the Laboratory Schools Covenant, discusses progress on that work here.)
"By such an effort, we hope to better understand the role of student, parent, and teacher; define proper boundaries for our roles; and establish clear expectations," Katz added. "We expect this to be a dynamic, changing document."
"Parents are an important resource for us," said Carla Young, Principal of Nursery and Kindergarten. "They help out in the school in many ways, but most importantly, they prepare their children for school. Our students come remarkably ready to learn, not only because of what they already know, but also because they are motivated to learn. They are curious and interested in the world around them - dispositions they get from home."
Parents of students in the early grades participate in the life of the Schools in many ways. They serve as room parents, they accompany children and teachers on field trips, and they often share their experiences with youngsters who learn, for instance, about the customs of various ethnic traditions.
Beverly Biggs, Principal of the Lower School, said, "I think what will come out of this discussion about a Laboratory Schools Covenant is a commitment to a partnership between parents and the Schools and a real clarification of how we are to work together. Perhaps there will also be a deeper level of trust and respect for the roles each of us plays in the care of children."
"Other independent schools have really benefited from having a document that clearly enunciates the expectations of teachers and the expectations of parents," said Feldman. "Parents come to independent schools with vastly different ideas about what a school does, notions that are based on their own experiences in school.
"Is a school supposed to provide hot lunches for students, for instance? And door-to-door bus service? At some schools, these services are the norm and desired by parents but they are not provided at all schools universally, so we need to be clear about what our school provides and how we organize our communication between parents and the school," he said.
Feldman added that parents also need to be aware of the mission statement of their particular school when they enroll their children. The mission statement clarifies the schoolÕs goals and helps parents understand its program, he explained.
Jack Knapp, Principal of University High School, said that in independent schools where he has served previously, schools have shared a document with parents that clarified the role of the school and its expectation of parents.
"These documents are very helpful because they clear up miscommunication and expectations. Parents know, for instance, what the agreed-upon procedure is for discussing a problem with a teacher."
Because the challenge of providing a solid, responsive link between parents and school is not unique to the Laboratory Schools, school leaders are studying documents prepared by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the Association of Independent Maryland Schools as guides.
"The Laboratory Schools Covenant will reflect our particular population and set of expectations, but I think we need to look at the way other schools address these issues in order to understand better what topics we need to explore," Katz said.
One of the review documents, titled "Parents and Independent Schools," which comes from the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, defines specific ways in which cooperation is achieved. "Parents must understand and embrace the school's mission, share its core values, and fully support its curriculum, faculty, and staff. When joined by a common set of beliefs and purposes, the independent school and its parents form a powerful team with far-reaching positive effects on children and the entire school community," it reads.
"Parents and Independent Schools" points out that most misunderstandings come from a failure to understand the school's decision-making process. Parents should avoid, for instance, going to the Board with issues involving the day-to-day operations of the school.
ISACS has developed a model school/parent covenant that states that the philosophy of a school should be to enroll families, not just students.
The covenant provides that the school will provide high-quality instruction and keep parents informed on their children's progress. The school also provides ways for parents to ask questions about their children's work and offers advice to parents on the support, encouragement, and structure that their children need.
According to the ISACS model document, parents are to provide moral values and modeling for their children and show respect to teachers. They are to follow the clearly defined chain of command at their schools. Parents also are expected to support the school financially.
In its School Code of Conduct, ISACS suggests that parents are effective partners when they become familiar with the school's policies and procedures, when they become involved in the school by volunteering, and when they respect the schoolÕs responsibilities to its entire community.
In the Code of Conduct, ISACS also clarifies roles for school employees, who are encouraged to be teachers to all students at all times and to be committed to teaching ethics and character formation. They also are expected to enforce standards of student behavior in a fair, firm, compassionate, and educationally sound manner.