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The Leadership
Opportunity for School Councils
Ten years ago, the school council system was created, opening
up a formal channel for dialogue between parents, teachers, principals and the
community. For many schools in
Ontario, that creation simply formalized a dialogue that had been going on for
years, in fact, 86 years in the case of Home and School Associations.
However, there were many schools, as many as 1/3 of Ontario’s schools,
where a dialogue did not exist. That
was the breakthrough of school councils – ensuring that a mechanism existed
for dialogue in every school. But … a mechanism for dialogue was only the beginning.
It simply set the stage for larger opportunities for parents to have a
positive impact on student learning. In 1998, the Education Improvement Commission completed an
extensive study of school councils. The
EIC recommended that the purpose of school councils be clarified to focus on
improved student learning, and that school councils focus on the following three
areas in order to achieve this purpose:
The last two areas have been the primary focus for many
school councils over the last number of years.
However, the larger opportunity for school councils is to take a
clear leadership role in fostering parental and community involvement in
education. There is an overwhelming body of research that indicates that
children do better in school when their parents are involved in their education.
Some studies indicate that any kind of involvement is better than none,
while other studies indicate that some kinds of involvement have a greater
impact on student learning. Both
are true. How can school councils take on a leadership role in
fostering parental and community involvement in education?
Perhaps the best way to start is to recognize that there are different
kinds of parents within a school, and that they have different preferred ways of
being involved, and in helping their children. There are some who simply wish to carry out their role as parents.
There are some who are willing to contribute ther time and energy as volunteers.
There are still others willing to become school council members,
offering their leadership skills to the school community.
All three groups have important and valid roles in helping children
achieve success at school, and school councils can take an active leadership
role in encouraging each of them. Providing Leadership to the School’s Parents This is the group of people who simply wish to carry out
their role as parents. Some of them
will never volunteer their services to the school, or attend a school council
meeting. Yet, almost every parent
sending a child to school wants to know, “How can I help my child do better in
school this year? A school council can support this group of parents in these
key ways: Parenting resources and seminars – helping parents to meet
the challenge of parenting a growing child.
These may include books, videos or seminars on bullying, workshops on the
nutritional needs of growing children, or bringing in motivational guest
speakers. Communications – helping these parents to know what is
happening at school, and to encourage them to maintain a two-way communication
with their child’s teacher and the school.
Newsletters, websites, encouraging the effective use of school journals,
encouraging attendance at parent-teacher interviews are all examples of actions
that school councils can take to encourage open communications. Participating in school events – encouraging parents to
attend school events, such as plays, assemblies, art exhibits, etc.
When a child sees their parent attend these events, it reinforces to the
child how important they are, and how important the school is to the parent. Learning at home – encouraging parents to assist their
children with homework or course selections.
This may involve collaborating with staff on a school-wide homework
policy, or the provision of seminars for parents who may struggle with the
nightly task of encouraging their child to complete their homework.
Many of these activities do not look like ‘involvement’,
however research indicates that these are among the most effective ways for a
parent to be involved in their child’s education. School councils can take a clear leadership role in
encouraging these types of involvement. Providing Leadership to the School’s Volunteers Volunteers are another distinct group within the school.
Again, some may never be part of the school council, yet they lead
numerous key initiatives that assist with student learning.
They are perhaps a schools greatest resource in both helping students
directly, and helping to engage other parents in the school.
Helping this group carry out their tasks well is key method for school
councils to take a leadership role in fostering parental and community
involvement. The five main types of volunteer activities include: 1.
Traditional volunteering, including assisting individual classroom
teachers, supervising on field trips, or helping librarians or other staff
within the school. This often has a
direct impact on student learning, as these volunteers extend the supervision or
resources available to teaching staff.
How can a school council provide leadership? Do school volunteers require support or focus – to ensure
that their efforts are put towards meaningful initiatives, or perhaps align with
the school plan to improve student learning? Do they need some training and development to ensure
that their efforts comply with board policies?
Do they need some start-up resources (funding) to get a very worthwhile
initiative off the ground? Do they
need support and encouragement from the school council?
Might a little recognition go a long way to encouraging your volunteers
to keep up the good work, and then simply stay out of their way? Volunteer efforts might be lead by a committee of the school
council, or they might be run by separate groups in the school.
For students, it doesn’t matter who runs them, yet supporting
volunteers assists in fulfilling the purpose of school councils – to improve
student learning. What kinds of
leadership or support do your volunteers need? School Council Members – Accepting the Leadership Roles Within most schools, there is a core group of 5 – 15
parents who want to take on the leadership roles that exist on a school council.
School council members are visible in terms of their involvement, but
it’s evident that joining a school council is not the only way to be involved
in a child’s education. How can this small group take an active leadership role in
stimulating parental and community involvement?
By taking a leadership role in these areas, a council addresses one of the larger opportunities for school councils, fostering parental and community involvement in education. |
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Send mail to
gkerr@schoolcouncils.net with questions or comments about this web site.
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