Tips for Parents

You should insist on a school where there is evidence of:

• Teachers who love their work and continually involve themselves in professional development.
• Teachers who know the capability of their students and challenge them accordingly.
• Teachers who recognize the interests and abilities of learners and provide opportunities for growth in these areas.
• Consistent/logical consequences for inappropriate behavior.
• Kindness, empathy and respect by staff and students.
• Experiences which foster self-reliance, independence, responsibility and a sense of
  community.
• Students living as a community, respecting one another and applying conflict resolution when
  needed.
• An interdisciplinary and thematic integrated program to assist in greater internalization of
  learning.
• Planned learning centers/activities that address a variety of abilities and interests.
• Modeling and teaching of values, ethics and morals.
• Respect for diversity in peoples; seeing the beauty of all cultures through multi-cultural
  studies.
• A well-equipped school with appropriate up-to-date materials and equipment.
• A technology department and competent technologists.
• Highly skilled, knowledgeable, credentialed professionals that recognize the importance of social, emotional and cognitive growth.
• An enriched, planned extra-curricular program.
• Standards for a school dress code.
• Activities promoting student independence, responsibility and leadership.
• A collaborative process with parents, establishing a partnership in the education of their children.
• Parent education for personal growth and to gain understanding of the philosophy of the program and the expectations of parents and students.
• Parent collaboration, participation and school involvement.
• Community outreach.
• A clean and safe campus.
• Students and professional staff who exhibit pride in their school.
• Standards for emergency procedures.

Go to our next tip for parents.