Listening with Parents and Picking-Up Boots
In past articles, I’ve shared about the variety of emails that I receive on any given day, along with questions, concerns and suggestions from parents, teachers and sometimes even a few students. I also find messages from companies suggesting ways to improve communication, participation and involvement between the district and parents. Rarely do I find anything more valuable than a practice that I put into place shortly after becoming superintendent, listening to our parent leaders.
As a parent myself, I know that accepting a leadership role in a parent or booster organization is often a thankless job. I decided that I could change this and began a practice that combines personal meetings with frequent email updates that are both informative and ensure that our parent officers know their efforts are appreciated. I learned early in my career that the information shared between parents is considered more reliable than any platform that the district might use, and after discussing options with several parent leaders in the district we established the practice that remains an important aspect of my work. Although I do send frequent emails, I believe in the importance of regular meetings for a variety of reasons, including both the chance for human interaction, and to provide the leaders to interact and trade ideas and best practices.
On September 24, I hosted the leaders of all but one of the school’s parent/booster organizations to share a few updates and most importantly to listen to the questions, comments and concerns that each are getting from their members. Together we solved problems, examined challenges (versus “took on the hard stuff”) and they held me accountable for promised information. When they left that day, as I generally do after our meetings, I felt empowered by their support and the time and energy each devotes to Springfield Local Schools.
I’ll close with a favorite quote from former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody—a parent, a teacher, an ivy league crony or a few nuns—bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” Our students deserve us to be there for them—after all, we’re all in this together.
