Dear Parents,
Independent schools are increasingly examining the ways in which they set expectations and communicate with parents. We know that schools work well when parents, teachers, and administrators see each other as partners working toward common goals and with a common mission. Several independent schools organizations have been working to develop documents that clearly articulate the responsibilities that these different constituencies have to one another.
In a recent article titled "Parents and Independent Schools," the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) wrote, "To be successful, every independent school needs and expects the cooperation of its parents, who 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."
Like the Maryland document, schools in ISACS (Independent School Association of the Central States) have begun to develop what they are calling school/parent covenants. These covenants are neither legal nor religious in nature, but rather provide a social contract to articulate expectations between groups.
The obvious question to ask is why is such a document necessary? As educators, we know that every parent wants what is best for his/her child; parents want their children's educational experience to be successful and fulfilling. Parents thus bring a variety of expectations and dreams with them to the school's door. Most parents' expectations are based on personal experiences from their days as students. Some parents bring ideas constructed through work in the business world or in the world of higher education. Many parents are influenced by the notion that private education is a costly endeavor and thus certain "rights of ownership" accrue.
The aggressive and highly charged consumer world has created a notion that independent school tuition is something akin to a stock investment or a retail purchase and that the purchaser must therefore bring the skills used in the market to the school. ISACS President Patrick Bassett talks about these expectations as misperceptions. "It is important for parents to understand that they are stakeholders and not shareholders," Bassett said. This differentiation is crucial. Bassett is saying that parents have an important stake in the work that takes place in independent schools; however, the tuition that is paid does not necessarily yield a voting share in the decision-making process and governance of the school.
Independent schools such as the Laboratory Schools have mission statements and goals that guide their decision-making processes and philosophy of education. The 105-year history of Lab has produced curricula, policies, and expectations that are based on our mission. Some of these expectations are explicitly stated and some of them are not. All of these expectations guide relationships between parents and the Board of Directors, parents and the faculty and administration, and the Parents' Association and the school. These expectations focus on communication between school and home, responsibilities for decision making in school, disciplinary actions, and financial support of the school.
A document like the school/parent covenant is constructed to assist all members of a community with their responsibilities as a community and to clarify what each constituency can expect from one another. As Bassett suggests, schools cannot be all things to all people. When parents choose the Laboratory Schools as the place to send their children, or when administrators and teachers choose the Laboratory Schools as their place of employment, they bring an understanding of what it means to work in a community. A covenant is the social contract, the moral and practical guide, that articulates what we should expect from one another as we work together in this community.
A committee of faculty and administrators has initiated discussions on the creation of a School/Parent Covenant for the Laboratory Schools; it is a document that clearly must and will involve broader representation. The voice of our parent body is crucial; we will be seeking participation, input, and support from the Parents' Association as discussions continue. Our goal is to create a written set of ethical principles that will articulate the responsibilities we have to one another. As every good teacher knows, success is achieved when expectations are clear, responsibility is taken, and there are no surprises. Putting in writing what parents should expect from the school and what the school should expect from parents is an important step in building and strengthening a strong partnership.
Sincerely,
David Feldman